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Social movements and its impact essay
Social movements and its impact essay
Social movements and its impact essay
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"Degrees and Dollars" “Dollars and Degrees” is a short article written by the 2008 Noble Prize winner and esteemed Princeton Professor Paul Krugman, in which he challenges the popular notion that higher education, is the main vehicle by which a person and our nation, can and should be able to depend on in order to achieve a measure of economic success; arguing that a societal and educational shift will be necessary to insure the wellbeing of future generations. Krugman begins his argument by pointing out that the idea of a college education being the key to financial success is so widely accepted that President Obama has stated such as nearly factual. He then explains just how easily jobs that were once regarded as secure, due to the level of education required, are being displaced by technological progress that can use a computer to …show more content…
He goes on to assert that nearly any jobs that rely on routine tasks, especially those jobs considered to be “white collar”, are at risk not only from technology, but from globalization as jobs become more “offshorable”. One of the consequences of these changing employment requirements Krugman posits, has been the loss of medium-wage jobs and the growth of high-wage and low-wage jobs over the last three decades. This has resulted in a shrinking middle-class and a widening gulf between high-wage earners and low-wage earners. In order to combat what he sees as a failing American educational/financial policy, Krugman proposes the need to fix the American educational system, which is rife with inequities. However, he further asserts that a direct societal shift will be necessary to create a country whose citizen’s share equally in educational, financial,
To prove his point, Krugman explains that about forty years ago (thought to be because of the New Deal) the United States was mainly a middle class society with opportunities move up in the class rankings. In contrast, today's society leads americans to believe that income is a fluctuating thing; one year you
Bruni begins by describing the golden promise of college as it appeared for baby boomers. In that time getting into college and completing a degree was enough to be successful. He acknowledges that this idealized vision of college may be inaccurate, however, he asserts that the issue is far more “complicated” than it once was. Bruni makes use of a recent (2012) debate over student loan interest rates in the U.S. to explore the issues surrounding college education today. While rising student debt is certainly part of the problem he suggests that the issue extends beyond that. College is now a “luxury item with newly uncertain returns” (Bruni). While rising costs make college a luxury item that not everyone will be able to afford, even those who can and do manage to go to college are not guaranteed success.
We, as Americans, view inequality one way, while Krugman perceives it rhetorically. This rhetorical view represents his signal to us, stating the fact that our society changes continuously. “The America I grew up in was a [...] middle class society. Over the past generation,
To go to college or not to go? Is the question many ask themselves before making a life changing decision. Anthony P. Carnevale “College Is Still Worth It” argues that people should go to college and not rely on faulty data on the worth of postsecondary education. Carnevale is a well-known authority on education and was appointed by President Clinton as Chairman of the National Commission on Employment Policy. While Richard Vedder respond to Carnevale with “For Many, College Isn’t worth it” and claims that college is worth for some people, but it’s not suited for all. Vedder is an economist, author, columnist, and now a distinguished professor of economics emeritus at Ohio University and senior fellow at The Independent Institute. Vedder is able to convince his audience on why college is not always worth it, unlike Carnevale, who was unable to convince his audience.
On the other hand, the book by Krugman, again, is more comprehensive. The on-going job crisis for example, is discussed in different level. For one, the newly graduates who are just now entering the workforce are affected by lack of good job opportunities. Ultimately, this will affect their careers for years to come...
While college may be initially uneconomical, evidence from a 1959 census shows a “three-fourths of earning difference” between those who graduated from college and those who merely received a high school diploma (Weisbrod et al 495). Weisbrod and Karpoff acknowledge the high cost of college in America, but assert the benefits of a college degree will more than reimburse a person in the long run, therefore the initial cost of attending a college is worthwhile. (Weisbrod et. al). Furthermore, this indicates only “one-fourth of the earnings differences are attributed...to non-schooling factors”, which proves the significant role college plays in determining the future earnings of an individual (Weisbrod et. al 497). College appears to be the most influential factor in regards to a person's earnings, therefore according to Weisbrod and Karpoff, college is necessary for a person who wishes to obtain a higher expected income. Even students who attend mediocre to below-average colleges will receive “a lifetime income that is [around] 10 percent lower ...than that which someone at one of the best schools can expect” (Weisbrod et. al 497). Weisbrod and Karpoff contend even low-tier colleges result in higher earnings, therefore a student should strive to attend any college regardless of the
There was a time in America where college was based solely on merit, higher education and pursuing the American Dream to obtain a career and gain social status to be successful in society. According to the Economist newspaper, rising fees and increase of student debt, shared with dwindling financial and educational returns, are undermining at least the perception that university is a good investment. Now due to high cost of an average good university, students are leaving college owing back over $100,000 and are not getting the job of their original dreams.
Krugman points out some alarming statistics in his New York Times article A report on inequality from the Congressional Budget Office
It should not be a surprise that many people believe that a college degree is a necessity in today’s world. We are taught to believe this at a young age. The average citizen will not question this statement due to how competitive the job market has become, yet does graduating college guarantee more success down the road? Peter Brooks is a scholar at Princeton University and publisher of an essay that questions the value of college. He obviously agrees that college can help securing a job for the future, but questions the humanities about the education. He uses other published works, the pursuit of freedom, and draws on universal arguments that pull in the reader to assume the rest of his essay has valid reasons.
The second chapter of this book advocates students to attend college, even if they must take on a moderate amount of student loan debt. They give statistics showing the tremendous gap in wages between a college graduate and a non-college graduate. The third chapter of this book argues the opposite viewpoint of the second chapter. The author states that the cost of college today is too high and that there are too many college graduates flooding the job market causing many of them to go unemployed or seek low level jobs that do not pay enough to pay off their student loans. Both of these chapters will help me to show the two main ...
In Confronting Inequality, Paul Krugman discusses the cost of inequality and possible solutions. Krugman argues to say that it is a fantasy to believe the rich live just like the middle class. Then, he goes into detail about how middle class families struggle to try to give their children a better life and how education plays a factor in children’s future lives. For example, children’s ability to move into higher education could be affected by their parents economic status. Also, He discusses how politicians play a role in the inequality, because most of politicians are in the upper economic class. Finally, Krugman says how we could possibly have solutions to these various inequalities, but how America won’t get
When young adults complete high school they’re encouraged to enroll in a higher education program. With the constant talks of soaring tuition costs, in addition to the massive student loan debt, taking this step can be worrisome. Reyna Gobel, a journalist on financing college education and repaying student debt, states. “It’s easy to stop believing that a college education is worth it when the nation has over a trillion dollars in debt, but college graduates still earn more over a lifetime than those without a degree. Plus, they’re more employable.” More than three-quarters of all college graduates agree that higher education is indeed still worth the cost. Additional education in a field you’re passionate towards
Introduction: In the essay America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree by Marty Nemko argues that attending college does not benefit most students. Many of us grow up believing that going to college is the best option to get good jobs, even if we did not do so well in college. In this essay, we explore statistics presented by Nemko to get a better idea if college is worth the time and money spent on the benefits of having a diploma.
In Caroline Bird’s “College is A Waste of Time and Money”, it’s argued that there are many college students who would be better off if they were to begin working after high school graduation. Colleges and universities can no longer ensure that one will go on to get a better job, getting paid more than they would have without a higher education. However, high school seniors still stress about where they will be attending college, how they’re going to pay for it and what they’re going to study for the next four years. Bird points out how college has changed over the past few decades and how, in turn, it has set many young adults up for disappointment, if nothing else.
By attending college, students guarantees themselves a better job that the average Joe. Because the world is changing rapidly, and many jobs rely on new technology, more jobs require education beyond high school. With a college education, an individual will have more jobs from which to choose. In addition to obtaining a better job, people who go to college usually earn more money than those who do not. College furnishes you with proper credentials and documents to land high-level jobs. Figures from an A&E television program on ‘The Working Class’ show that in 2004 the average earnings were $23,895 for a high school graduate and $41,478 for individuals with a bachelor’s degree. Getting a college education is simply a stepping stone in ensuring yourself with a good start in life. Some may agree that college students are open minded and knows exactly how to expre...