Meritocracy
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I personally love school because it is the closest that the world gets to a meritocracy. In addition, professors are individuals who are lucky enough to stay in the academy, and come close to participating in a meritocracy (although I've heard many disgruntled junior professors who think that the publishing process is not based on a meritocracy, but on alternate political systems of the editors/established writers). Nevertheless, we will just assume that professors are the only public figures who get to adhere to a meritocratic system for a living.
I know this sounds cynical and I did enjoy being a professional and was quite successful for my position. But you have probably heard, as I did recently, the statement "Welcome to the real world." What does this statement really mean? How is school different from the real world? Maybe I'm just old, but I've experienced alternative power dynamics in the professional sphere that in no way resemble a meritocracy.
p.s. Maybe I should just get a Ph.D. (lol)
I agree with you and it does not really look cynical; it’s been a fact these days. The real world has been so competitive and even far fiercer that the greatest power and highest social positions are given only to people who have the most abilities. While those who have the normal abilities are sometimes not even considered; as if they do not have the right to! This is unfortunately one of the fads that employers and people in power have these days. I bet such a small fish, if survived, it would be a big fish one day and, in turn, it would eat the small ones. It’s unfortunate that our natural human life has been much like the biological “food chain” biological cycle!
ReplyDeleteI also think that a merit-based system is the ideal way to run an institution. And it makes sense that this is the way school works (for students). However, I also think that merit should not simply be based on sheer amount of THINGS done WELL. Whenever I am learning anything in a given course, if I think that I have understood the material correctly, I feel that it is my obligation to ensure that my classmates are also up to speed. I think that, especially in language learning, a good classmate is always thinking "How can I make my classmates' learning experiences more meaningful?" I think that classmates who work hard on their assignments and study hard for exams on their own are good in their own way, but personally I feel that learning can be a group effort.
ReplyDeleteNow, I am also aware of the fact that I am incredibly naïve, and I invite you to disregard what on the basis of me not having any experience in the professional world whatsoever--I can only speak from a student's perspective. But I think that this idea could probably be carried into the professional world as well. But that may be unrealistic--my personal idea of meritocracy has yet to even become a norm in classrooms, much less any professional field.