Re: Education (was Re: Fred Reed)

From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Tue Aug 07 2001 - 07:12:13 MDT


Harvey Newstrom wrote:
>
> Brian D Williams wrote,
> > I went to a high school (Lane Tech, Chicago) where "shop" was
> > amongst the most popular of all classes, probably because you did
> > things that were actually useful. (It's a guy thing too.)
>
> Shop classes were very popular in schools I have attended (in Illinois,
> Indiana and Florida). I'm not sure why it is not found in some schools,
> because it is very common in other schools.

They were popular in the high school when I was in elementary school,
but were phazed out by the school district despite high popularity.

>
> > Our society has so successfully stigmatized the trades that it is
> > very difficult to find people to fill these jobs, and contrary to
> > social myth, not just anyone will do.
> >
> > It is considered very uncool to end up in the trades these days.
>
> I don't think it was uncool. I think computer nerds and science nerds were
> uncool, but the shop guys or the jocks never were. I think the real reason
> people disdain shop is because it is training for a low-wage job. This is
> the free market at work, showing which jobs are more valued (in dollars)
> than others. By the way, the jocks with a chance at sports scholarships or
> getting drafted were the most popular heroes on campus. They expected to be
> rich. Those who could make it into sports or science went to shop.

Apparently, Harvey, you've never actually calculated the money that
plumbers, auto mechanics, and machinists actually make.

While not at the level of doctors and lawyers, or computer security
consultants, it is close.

Jocks were the popular heroes for hormonal reasons, regardless of any
chances at playing pro sports, and generally only those jocks of the
popular sports. I was captain of the ski team, and it could be said I
was the only member of my high school class to be a professional
athlete, as I was a professional ski instructor on a full and part time
basis, off and on, for years, and raced competitively into college
(until I broke my back), with sponsorships from ski equipment
manufacturers. Despite all this, in high school, I was not nearly a
BMOC, since my primary identity was the smartest guy in class with a 160
IQ. Girls could be smart, guys could not.



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