>From: Amara Graps <amara@amara.com>
>
>From: "Gerhard Haak" <gerhard_haak@hotmail.com>
>
>>As an aside, consider the following. Typically, the pure sciences and
>>mathematics don't pay as well as law and medicine, and tend to have a
lower
>>status in society.
>
>I don't agree about the 'lower status in society' in the societies
>where I've lived. I think the words: 'different status' or 'unique
>status' might be more appropriate. I agree with your assessment
>about the money earnings, however.
In my country (Argentina) law and medicine have noticeably higher status in
society. Particularly law. One of the many cultural reasons for this is the
politization of university life and how (to a huge degree) the political
class
comes from the law group, many of them having been "initiated" into the
political apparatus during university militancy. IMHO, you could say the
system
is self-perpetuating, as the political class dabbles shamelessly on
university
life.
>In the US, I was earning more as a scientific programmer in my
>government (NASA) lab than the post-docs at the same place, who had
>more formal scientific training.
In Argentina, a typical database/systems programmer in the private sector
usually earns more than a long-time professor or researcher. Then again,
unemployment and sub-employment is so harsh nowadays, there are not many of
any
of both positions, so comparison is a bit arbitrary (and biased by the way
government can't fund universities beyond the most basic upkeep and wages).
>about 2/3 in order to go for my astrophysics PhD. I have no
>illusions of big money in the coming years either, and that
>honestly doesn't bother me.
Same here, particularly considering I'm going back to my country after
graduation, and try my humblest best to keep the ship from sinking.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlos Gonzalía | Phone: +46 31 772 10 18
Department of Computing Science | Fax: +46 31 16 56 55
Chalmers University of Technology | Visiting: Eklandagatan 86, room 5429
and University of Gothenburg | e-mail: gonzalia@cs.chalmers.se
SE-412 96 Gothenburg - Sweden | http://www.cs.chalmers.se/~gonzalia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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