Higher Ed, A Pyramid Scheme

Higher ed employment has become a pyramid scheme, explains Michelle Masse, with mostly-male sectors at the top and mostly-female sectors at the bottom. The relationship between "feminization" of the humanities and "masculinization" of administration means we're all in the harem of the dean.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Colleges
• universities
• professors
• students
• adjuncts
• faculty
• feminism
• women
• PhD
• Marc Bousquet

[gspaulsson]

I think "pyramid scheme" perfectly describes modern academia. Universities peddle a product called a PhD. The great majority of PhDs end up doing menial work as adjunct or contingent faculty, which pays less than

they would have made if they'd got a job straight out of high school and spent the time getting real-world experience. In other words, a PhD has negative economic value. A handful of PhDs are given tenure-track jobs, so they can produce more PhDs. It's a classic pyramid scheme.

[curiousraydotinfo]

I'm not sure that Michelle Masse is using the term, "pyramid scheme," in its most generally accepted way.

"A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service being delivered." Wikipedia

I think that "male-dominated hierarchy" is probably more accurate.

[kathiAcevedovimi]

I'll be playing better than them when I quit my job using the method I found at ez-casino(dot)com! LOL

[SkilledCat88]

Of course, men are in the musculinized sectors, having leisure and being well-paid. What kinda magical sector is that, I wanna work there too. Being CEO's? Even CEO's have no time for leisure, on the contrary, they work alot. Funniest is that you call this a scheme, as if some evil male organisation is behind this to exploit the women of the world :D

[WarrenAch]

It really depends where you work...work for private companies..and youll see that your salary will dramatically raise....Working for public companies is bullshit,especially in science fields...that's why physicians are all moving into private practices...same for scientists.

Well..it's like this in canada....if you do researches for high parties,pay is high.

[Nullifidian]

Speaking as someone who's going through the academic wringer right now and hating every moment of it, I have to say that in many cases, the traditionally "masculine" disciplines aren't any better paying. I'm a biologist, and this is one of the worst avocations to have because chances are I'll end up at a low-wage job teaching aspiring doctors the basics of biology. Ditto for physics and engineers. The "practical" majors are becoming even more commercialized and consequently low-paying.

[polishsupreme]

Men are terrible! We women only need them to reproduce! I say we kill all men except for Brad Piutt and George Clooney, then we will have all the jobs! YAA

[prschuster]

That was an interesting comment about "mysterious market forces". To me it's a euphemism for politicized market. What is considered valuable to the economy and what is considered worthy of higher salaries is pretty much political, isn't it? Caring, nurturing, communication & cultural enrichment all take a back seat to nuts & bolts technical knowledge. Is it my imagination, or is it true that the literacy level of Americans has been going down hill over the past couple of decades?

[engineerjatt]

College teaching is the most humiliating low wage career I have ever seen........

no job security, low wages, working at 2+ campuses, paying for own supplies/photocopies to state a few. Maybe ....capitalism showing its color...

[girlmadhatter]

I don't want to go to college after seeing this. I'd rather be poor.

[inkey2]

to batttman: you lost your credibility the moment you said...."go to my website"