Anti-intellectualism had a good run through the 8 years of the Bush administration, but I think it may have finally played itself out. It is just too worthwhile to have the director of FEMA actually have some EXPERTISE in administering emergency services, rather than the cronyism that seemed to guide promotion in a world that disregarded expertise, or rather, as in the case of NASA, saw it as something that could be shaped and molded to a political agenda.
Expertise implies professional standards, and ways to articulate those standards. It's easy to stereotype pointy-heads, just as it is easy to stereotype "know-nothings," which actually were a political party once, but perhaps best serve the current political climate where terrorism experts findings on WMD, and even Justice Dept legal standards about anti-trust regulations, civil rights violations, even EPA enforcement, have become remarkably fluid and governed more by social networks (cronyism and kickbacks, patronage systems) than by even the standards that exist in records and law. Rigorous critical thinking and reflection can take place anywhere and at any time. I'm not reinforcing a theory/practice dichotomy. I am however, cautioning against casting "book learning" as the boogeyman and using that as an excuse to plug one's ears and go "nah-nah-nah-nah." That, to my mind, is reactionary anti-intellectualism, and it is worse than dangerous. Chris On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 1:31 AM, Angel Marquez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>What education teaches you though which I believe no one spoke about is > how to think & how to teach. education lastly gives you wings to inderstand > the impractical. Learning failure as part if > a process & expressions just for you. > hrmnnnn...I'm going to have to strongly disagree with the above statement. > > The entire 'would I hire you with or without a degree' is such rubbish. If > that was your rule I wouldn't want to work for you anyhow and you would be > doing me a favor and yourself a disservice. How would you know you were > making the right choice without trying, which you clearly would not... > > I think people that swing their degrees around are missing the mark and are > just about as bad as religious fanatics that position themselves before the > almighty or software manufacturers that repackage open source solutions for > profit. > > knowledge is tantamount... contrary to your mass nurtured trends and hidden > agendas your money hungry institutions uphold. the last thing i want to > work > with is another cliche cookie cut social brick know it all... > > just kidding > > lol > > On Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 7:54 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Is this all (both threads) really just a question of "this point in > > history"? > > Would I hire an Industrial Designer who doesn't have a degree in ID? > > > > Isn't the expectation if hiring a junior graphic designer that they > > have a degree in visual design? > > > > I have always found it interesting that in the UX world we tend to > > focus on the masters level with very little done at the Bachelor's > > level. My question to SVA & CMU & KU is why are there no bachelor of > > IxD programs next to you MA programs? > > > > I totally respect the masters I've met who have no formal education. > > But I don't see that path as strategicly viable for the total > > advancement of the discipline or the profession. > > > > I do think that one can achieve greatness in practice without going > > to school. What education teaches you though which I believe no one > > spoke about is how to think & how to teach. education lastly gives > > you wings to inderstand the impractical. Learning failure as part if > > a process & expressions just for you. > > > > Imagine IxD practice 50 years from now. Will anyone practicing IxD > > not have at least a bachelors in IxD? > > > > - dave > > > > > > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > > Posted from ixda.org (via iPhone) > > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=30391 > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > > To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
