The Case Against Education by Bryan Caplan

[collegehacked]

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. The book breaks down signaling theory and explains the economic theory behind why and how employers value degrees because they signal certain things like "social conformity," "ability to work on something for a while," etc. This short article gives a pretty good taste of what the book's all about and will, I think, help you be more enthusiastic about doing college in a cheaper, quicker, more non-traditional way. 

https://www.econlib.org/archives/2015/04...sig_1.html

Essentially, he argues against human capital purists who believe that "degree = skills" and that is why employers hire people with degrees. But Caplan uses a lot of stats to show how degree doesn't really equal skills and in fact it's more just a social part we're playing to prove that we are a certain kind of person (hard worker, conformist) rather than that we learned specific things. Sure, we still do learn things in college, but Caplan's data suggests it's a lot less than anyone would like to admit.

Thank you for reading my book report just wanted to share this with people who I thought would care.

[rachel83az]

This is something that I've thought for a while but have never really looked into. Maybe next month I'll have time to actually read it; I'm too busy trying to finish a Sophia class before the deadline so I can enroll in one more!

[Johann]

In an odd way, this is really a continuation of old news - 130 years or more. I've read that old-time capitalists welcomed the idea of compulsory schooling (then to 12 or 14) as it would produce young people pre-conditioned to the workplace. They had learned obedience and were tractable enough to do what they were told at work - and were capable of sticking to a task.

Now, it takes college to finish the job, it seems. Very pessimistic approach - so probably nearer the truth than we like to think.

[gremlinbrawler]

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. The book breaks down signaling theory and explains the economic theory behind why and how employers value degrees because they signal certain things like "social conformity," "ability to work on something for a while," etc. This short article gives a pretty good taste of what the book's all about and will, I think, help you be more enthusiastic about doing college in a cheaper, quicker, more non-traditional way. 

https://www.econlib.org/archives/2015/04...sig_1.html

Essentially, he argues against human capital purists who believe that "degree = skills" and that is why employers hire people with degrees. But Caplan uses a lot of stats to show how degree doesn't really equal skills and in fact it's more just a social part we're playing to prove that we are a certain kind of person (hard worker, conformist) rather than that we learned specific things. Sure, we still do learn things in college, but Caplan's data suggests it's a lot less than anyone would like to admit.

Thank you for reading my book report just wanted to share this with people who I thought would care.

I've wanted to read that one for a long time but haven't gotten around to it. Thanks for the summary, now I'm even more excited about it!

[LevelUP]

By getting a college degree you are basically virtue signaling to employers things such as diligence and patience.

The U.S. has a class system and if you don't have a degree, you are treated like a 2nd class citizen.  It is a lot easier in life to be walking downhill rather than uphill.  

Not that it's impossible to get a job without a degree though you will often see jobs say either have a degree or have 4 years experience.  So without experience, it's hard to start your career in a job that requires skills.

[SteveFoerster]

By getting a college degree you are basically virtue signaling to employers things such as diligence and patience.

Signaling, yes. Virtue signaling is something else, at least to the extent it means anything at all beyond someone expressing an opinion with which the other person disagrees.

[LevelUP]

By getting a college degree you are basically virtue signaling to employers things such as diligence and patience.

Signaling, yes. Virtue signaling is something else, at least to the extent it means anything at all beyond someone expressing an opinion with which the other person disagrees.

Straw man fallacy.

[SteveFoerster]

By getting a college degree you are basically virtue signaling to employers things such as diligence and patience.

Signaling, yes. Virtue signaling is something else, at least to the extent it means anything at all beyond someone expressing an opinion with which the other person disagrees.

Straw man fallacy.

So, now that's two terms in a row that don't mean what you think they mean. Care to try for the hat trick?

[LevelUP]

By getting a college degree you are basically virtue signaling to employers things such as diligence and patience.

Signaling, yes. Virtue signaling is something else, at least to the extent it means anything at all beyond someone expressing an opinion with which the other person disagrees.

Straw man fallacy.

So, now that's two terms in a row that don't mean what you think they mean. Care to try for the hat trick?

I think we can make our lives both better.  I won't waste time commenting on your posts and you don't waste time comment on my posts.

[collegehacked]

By getting a college degree you are basically virtue signaling to employers things such as diligence and patience.

The U.S. has a class system and if you don't have a degree, you are treated like a 2nd class citizen.  It is a lot easier in life to be walking downhill rather than uphill.  

Not that it's impossible to get a job without a degree though you will often see jobs say either have a degree or have 4 years experience.  So without experience, it's hard to start your career in a job that requires skills.

And it's for this very reason that I'm such a huge advocate of how we approach college degrees. Using CLEP to get degrees to get jobs is like the system letting excess pressure out, but one day a reckoning will come and the system will be better.