The other side of college, that is.
(Photo courtesy of United Press International)
This week's blog post is in response to a couple stories from the Wall Street Journal.
The first one - about jobs going bye-bye - can be found HERE.
The second one - about extending adolescence - can be found HERE.
Are these articles related?
At this point, this process should be understood by all. 300-500 words, well thought out, employing the tools of critical analysis. Commentary, please. Due Date: Call it a week or so from now...say, March 2nd.
I think people should be able to direct their responses more accurately now. I'm going to leave more and more open to interpretation, and see where the dialogue goes.
Enjoy -- MP.
I feel that the increases in unemployment numbers are because of the financial stability of the current economy. I don’t think the problem is there not being jobs, the problem is funding those jobs. If companies do not have a position that they have to pay for, they are saving more money. So less jobs equals more money saved. I agree with the different categories that Kessler has broken down the economy and placed specific jobs within each of these categories. All though they are very broad and loosely lined categories, they are very truthful when talking about where a specific job stands in today’s economy. I think the two of these articles are very similar because they convey the same message in the end. While the first article is talking about how there used to be so many jobs, there are now very few to come by that are available for hire. The second article is talking about the gender traditions that have been observed in the work place. The article discusses that fewer and fewer males are working, and females are starting to receive positions that were once considered male only. They are asking where all of the males in society are going for work. This is symbolic of the same message from the first article. They are comparing jobs to men and comparing the new ways with little open work availability, to the women in society taking on careers that are no longer available. However, I still think that the reasons for high unemployment rates are because of the economy in the country.
ReplyDelete-Kaitlyn Huml
i find this topic very interesting considering that were all college students so the issue of being employed focuses on all of us considering we're all going to be looking for jobs as soon as we graduate. The first article i read about was the one about the unemployment. It gave a great overview about how there's a drastic amount of unemployment and few jobs being offered to the public. It alos talk about all of the new technology being created that makes it so that people are no longer needed for their jobs they can make a machine do it faster and cheaper. This made me think about my entrepreneuership class im taking where my teacher praises new technology but also stresses the importance of job creation. Its just a double edge sword creating something thats inovative and makes life easier but it also takes away jobs and makes life harder. The article also talks about the type of workers that wont be needed with this new technology in place. The sloppers, sponges, supersloppers, slimers, and thieves. I dont very much care for the names of these workers but the author does a good job of describing them. the second article i read was about adultlife out of college it mostly talked about immature men coming out of college i didnt see much of a tie between the two articles excpet for that maybe its hard for guys top find jobs after college because they havent fully grown up. So maybe what the solution i think would be is maybe a course for college students to take about how to find jobs after college. and i think that each student should be required to take it the semester of their graduation. i think this would help college students sucecced aftert they graduate college
ReplyDeleteI think that the lack of jobs is because of technology and the huge population boom that started after WWII and continues today. With the rise in technology there is a lack of labor based jobs and the need for human employees is dwindling like the first article stated. With the population rising and the job market shrinking this country need to make some changes or were going to keep heading down this dangerous path. Their is also a huge education gap and the people without education after high school are at an extreme disadvantage in out service and technology based economy. This is not because they are not willing to work but it does mean they lacked the means or the willingness to go to college. The job market is a virtual no mans land for people that don’t even finish high school. In reference to the second article I think that part of the reason for this “pre-adulthood” is the lack of jobs left in the labor force and higher education almost being mandatory in our country. Not too long ago men that did not want to go to school or could not afford to could just go to the local factory, mine, post office, ect. and get a job. With the rising cost of school and the lack of labor positions there is a large amount of people that got left behind. These days it is only the very hard workers or the lucky ones that get the good jobs that don’t require much training. I think that most women mature quicker than males and with all the progress that has been made for women's rights in the last decade many women want to be able to support themselves as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not really believe that these articles are related. The first article talks about how employment in the US has been decreasing with the inventions of new technology that makes the everyday blue-collar worker dispensable. The problem is that this new equipment that has been invented is created by those who have not only graduated college (most likely) but those who have also had the drive to further their education to learn how everything works. With this knowledge, they have been able to improve older technology as well as invent new things. This small portion of the population also happens to be the wealthier portion of the population. Actually, I guess in a way these articles do relate. The second article discusses the rise of this new class of people coined "pre-adults". The reason for the rise of pre-adulthood has been the evolution of our culture over the past century. It is a well-known fact that in todays society, to get a "good job", you need to have a college degree. To increase your chances of landing your dream job or getting an even better job than that requires further schooling. I myself remember my freshmen year of college like it was yesterday, I was essentially still a high schooler. Looking at where I stand today compared to where I was then, not a whole lot of things about me have changed. I do have a better grasp on the ideas of Psychology since I am majoring in it, and I may act a bit more civilized when out in public but when I am at home or with my friends, I still feel like a kid. I still sit around and play video games or make stupid jokes like I did 4 years ago. The reason for this is, I believe people associate school with their childhood. The longer we are in school, the longer it takes us to grow up. With this being the case, looking at how the economy is moving, the best idea for adolescents and pre-adults is to stay in school, which gives you the chance to hold onto your "immature" personality for a little while longer. I do not believe however that the rise of this "pre-adult" culture has had any impact on the slow economy.
ReplyDelete-David Hacker
I believe the articles are somewhat related because they both bring up the issue of unemployment. Although it might not seem like the second article talks of this issue, it sort of has a hidden message. The first article is about the millions of jobs that are given up due to the new era of technology in recent years. Jobs such as toll takers, DMV workers, and even lawyers are going by the way side because new products can do the same job and money does not have to be spent paying the workers. He also states that fewer and fewer people are attending medical and law school due to the high risk of not getting a job. Unfortunately this is a crisis that will continue to occur for decades.
ReplyDeleteThe second article is about the fact that society has changed so much over the years when it comes to gender roles and work ethic. It used to be that men would get their degree and women would stay at home. Nowadays most women make more money than their husbands or even fathers and no one says anything. Also the new technology and digital help today has made the job market extremely competitive for young business men and women. Over the decades young people have moved from working the fields to attending school and getting a good education for the future.
These articles relate because they both tell of jobs being taken. The first one speaks of how jobs are being taken over by technology and digital means rather than needing people. The second one speaks of how jobs are being taken over by the younger men and women of America because they are attending school and becoming more and more qualified to receive these new jobs. Also they are related because they both speak of how technology has changed our world today. The first one says our world is becoming so technology dependant that jobs in companies such as Google and Netflix are becoming the most popular and highly demanded. Also that technology is taking over many people jobs throughout the country. The second one says our world is coming up with so much new technology and digital programs that it is essential for young people to be informed and trained with the new equipment in order to enhance their job opportunities. Overall the articles show that our world is becoming very technology dependant and it is not temporary. Over the next decades technology will continue to increase and jobs will become scarcer.
Both of these articles give great points about society and how things have changed and are going to change over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe first article was about Americans and the work force. The fact that 26 million Americans are unemployed and the fact that machines are being used in many places to replace them. I mean think about it. You don't have to pay health insurance or anything else for a machine that you do for people. It's so much easier to replace a person with faster, more eficient equiptment. Kessler even goes on to talk about all the jobs that are being replaced by machines and online sources. Because America has turned into a country that wants everything as fast and eficient as possible. And people can't do things as fast as machines can.
The second article told of a different story, but still informative and interesting. This article was about the change in role, as far as gender goes, in society. Women are now earning degrees, graduating and getting jobs faster than men are. Women are now starting to be, in some cases, the main provider for their families. Back in the old days women would stay home, and take care of the children. Meanwhile, the men would be out providing and protecting their family. Today it is very hard to get a well paying job without a degree, and you can't earn a degree by sitting home on the couch and watching Star Wars. It just won't happen. But for many men that I know, their early 20's is the time they want to be stupid and go to parties, but by the time they're in their late 20's early 30's, it's not so cute and funny anymore because they've wasted so much time messing around.
Overall the basic idea of these two articles was that technology is becoming the main source of our dependence. When we need to find out what something is or need help with a problem on homework, we google it. It's fast and easy. And in the future, with the way things are going, we may see a definate decrease in jobs needed by humans. Technology is truly taking over.
I think the two articles are related, because even though the main focus of the second article is about gender and not employment it still discusses the topic stating , “Another factor in the lengthening of the road to adulthood is our increasingly labyrinthine labor market. The past decades' economic expansion and the digital revolution have transformed the high-end labor market into a fierce competition for the most stimulating, creative and glamorous jobs.”(Where Have the Good Men Gone?).Yes, the economy is tough and it is hard to find jobs, but I feel like it is the “glamorous” jobs that there is a shortage of and that there are still less desirable jobs out there. Because people want good jobs and compose their identities based on their careers men are post-poning joining the work force to peruse and education that they hope will pay off in a well paying , highly respected job. When in past decades men would work more blue collar jobs at an earlier age. Because of this they are able to live out the “care-free” college years for a longer period. And when they do decide to join the work force and are done with school, they flood the market. There are more people with the higher degrees then the market has room for. Because companies are saving money by hiring less people. And because white collar jobs are more coveted then blue collar jobs that has provided women with a unique opportunity to join in. Unlike blue collar jobs that many see as a boys club , women can enter. Requiring them to receive a higher education. But, unlike their male counter parts women are not extending their adolescence to such a large extent. I do think the economy has a lot to do with the lack of jobs, but I also feel the market is being flooded by people with the same level of education and they are all going after the same positions.
ReplyDeleteI think the two passages are closely related. The writer of the first article said that since technology is eating jobs, the number of servers in our economy is no doubt shrinking. It seems worse that “we are at the beginning of a decades-long trend. Beyond the demise of toll takers and stock traders, watch enrollment dwindle in law schools and medical schools.” In the "knowledge economy," good jobs tend to go to those with higher degrees. And degrees take years. And also the unpredictable labor market contributes to the prolonged adolescence. The past decades' economic expansion and the digital revolution have transformed the high-end labor market into a fierce competition for the most stimulating, creative and glamorous jobs. Thanks to the knowledge economy, the educated young can have an unprecedented opportunity to think about work in personal terms. They are looking not just for jobs but for "careers," work in which they can exercise their talents and express their deepest passions. They expect their careers to give shape to their identity. The second writer is also aware of the phenomenon. She sees the “puerile shallowness” is an expression of our cultural uncertainty about the social role of men. Today, however, with women moving ahead in our advanced economy, husbands and fathers are now optional, and the qualities of character men once needed to play their roles—fortitude, stoicism, courage, fidelity—are obsolete, even a little embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteI think the need of high degrees is understandable, but it is not sufficient to say that technology is eating away all the jobs for “servers”. Those with degrees were more adaptable to new ideas and methods, whereas those who apprenticed were often wedded to preserving the teachings of the master, perhaps fine in some fields where knowledge is static, but the kiss of intellectual death in others. "Creators" will always expect nothing less from their "servers" and will pay good money to get it -- which is why most of those certified occupations will stick around. Moreover, where technology is concerned, predictions are not always accurate. Back when the computer age began in earnest, the prediction was that work would be made so simple that we would all have more time. HA! Even if that "free time" were not being gobbled up by hand held devices, would someone please explain the fascination with hours' long commutes when telecommuting (another ballyhooed but failed promise) is available.
--Tianxiao
The issue of unemployment has been increasing dramatically over the past few decades in even more within the past few years. It seems almost anyone that expects a job starting at 20,000-30,000 dollars needs to have a college degree and be completely driven. Since most people are going to college, the competition for jobs is already out of control. For each job opening there are atleast 30 applicants with the right qualifications but still only one job to fill. And as if this isn't difficult enough, the technology in which people have created to make out lives easier has gone awry and caused life to be "too" easy, illiminating not only jobs that anyone could do, but jobs that people go to college for years and years to obtain. But what are we supposed to do? the higher ups obviously would rather buy a machine for x amount of money to do all the work than hire x amount of employees at a rate of x dollars per hour or year. The numbers clearly are in favor of the machines, who can't disagree or complain. They don't need vacation time, breaks, or sick days as the counterpart "humans" do. This is difficult for us as college students to think about. We pay thousands of dollars to recieve a degree that could possibly be wiped out by machines in a few years, and besides that, technology is constantly advancing so people who already have their degrees are forced to go back to school and learn the ways of the new technology or simply lose their job to someone who is fresher and younger and has learned the new technology in school already. It's a tough work environment out there that we will all have to face in a few years.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the article on "Where Did All the Good Men Go?" I didn't see a strong correlation between the two. Although they were relatable, media does tend to show men as slackers even into their 30s, the correlation between recieving a job and not recieving a job has a lot to do with a person's drive. It does show that woman do show having more drive than men. This is probably due to the repression we've dealt with as women in the past. Society showed we were supposed to be housewives and mothers up until pretty recentely and this change has caused us to step up our game and not stop until we reach our goal of a job suitable for us. Besides the fact that we weren't supposed to have jobs in the past, the fact still is that most men make more money than women holding the exact same position. This is obviously changing as of late, but still an issue that has women working harder than men.
Both articles had interesting points. The first was about losing jobs due to technology, and the rise in unemployment. They went over jobs that were becoming obsolete due to advancements in technology. The second had more of an opinionated view of the modern day male in society, and the difficulty of men finding their identity in society. It focused on how they were stuck in a sort of perpetual arrested development. Arrested development is, other than a really good T.V. show, just a fancy word for a sort of regression or in this context, men who are stuck in a sort of adolescent-esque mindset. This article seemed to say that all men were just teenagers with very little emotional or intellectual growth. While the first article had more of a less biased approach, the second one had a more generalized, opinionated feel to it, so they are different in that aspect. While the second article did discuss the “increasingly labyrinthine labor market”, and how the job market has become very competitive, it is not directly relative to first article. You can see how they could be comparable however, if you compare the stereotype of today’s male in Hymowitz’s article on their lack of motivation and the like, with unemployment rates. These articles could be loosely related, because some of the unemployed men could be the "playboys" described in the second article. This could mean that the rise in unemployment could possibly be related to the increase in a man’s questioning of his position in society. In today’s society, it is increasingly difficult for the average man to figure out what he is going to do with his life, especially with jobs positions being eradicated, so it is entirely possible that his amateur and adolescent behavior could be a reflection on his reluctance to grow up and embrace reality and the competiveness of life.
ReplyDelete-Matt Labyk
I think these articles are related to some sort, but one was about losing jobs due to technology and the other was about males in the society and how they find there way in it.
ReplyDeleteI was really interested in the one about the males in society because I have heard many times that women are starting to "take over" more when it comes to jobs and incomes compared to men these days. I personally think this is good because I have been brought up to not depend on a man and to go and get a degree so I can support myself. Women are usually the ones talked about the most and how the men are the ones that are the money makers and support the family. I think it is time for a change in the United States and for women to be on top.
I also do agree with the whole idea about men being pre-adults and not moving on with there lives. I see many men that act that way and when it even comes to dating, even for myself I find wanting to date older and older, just because they all seem to act all the same no matter what the age is.
I think the public has to deal with some of these problems and how it plays men out to be could also be another reason. Men might not admit it, but they do take in what happens in movies/shows etc they watch and do use it in real life. Our society feeds off of whatever is in trend, but if you look at other countries they are happily married and not having near as many problems as we are.
Now, that I think about it I think both articles are different. I found myself talking about mainly just one article. The other is dealing with unemployment and how there aren't enough jobs anymore. I don't think you can really blame men or women on that. I think the reason job rates are dropping is because of the economy. I am with most peopple on this. Just like gas prices going up to almost $4.00. That is going to make peopple want a raise and going to put others out of jobs.
I think for both of these articles alot of things play into them. Somehow something has gotta give with both of them.
Both of the articles struck me as interesting. The first relating to the increase in technology and the decline in jobs. As a college student it is hard for me to think about not having a good job when I get out of college because of the amount of money that I will be owing at the end of my years here at Kent State. It is honestly scary thinking about going out into the real world and possibly not being able to get a job because they had recently invented a machine that is able to do my job much more efficiently. Not only the technology that could be taking the job from a person, but also a younger person that understands a new technology better than a person that has done the job for a number of years but is unfamiliar with the new technology that is used is also a scary consideration. Not only will the younger person be more familiar with the technology, but they will also probably be willing to work for less considering the fact that they would be fresh out of college and unestablished in the work environment.
ReplyDeleteI did not really feel like the two articles were really related in too many ways, but it did not take away from the fact that I found it interesting. The idea that males are seeming to be less motivated and stuck in more of an adolescent mind state than that of the female counterpart was something that had never really occurred to me. The more that I thought about it though, it seemed to just be a generalization because there are plenty of men out there with the drive to get to the top. No matter which gender is being looked at there is going to be slackers and people that are less motivated than others, and it is nothing more than a personal trait to me.
I don't know how related the two articles are. The article about the peter pan complex is true, and it is harder and harder to find a good guy. However, a guy playing video games with his friends doesn't put him in the category of being an adolescent. There are full grown men who still do this. The image of the father figure from the 50s is out the window, and changed just as much as the woman's image. Another reason I think men are taking this time to live in an in between is because women aren't ready at this time to settle down either. It's not only men, but women who are taking longer to " grow up".
ReplyDeleteThe job situation, while not caused by this stage, is effecting the situation. Most of the people i know that either have degrees, or don't are out of a job and living at home. I believe the issue is mostly because the economy can't afford new workers. However, in my mind it doesn't make too much sense to make electronics that take jobs, when we can't afford to make new ones, and we are spending money on their production. A good solution to these issues would be to increase green jobs and jobs that are building new ways of healthier living. THis would aid our planet and our job situation.
The two articles I thought were some what related. I felt like they were blaming technology on the reason that jobs were not being abundant. Yes, I agree that technology has replaced a lot of mindless tasks, but they are usually more efficient, and I feel like there will always be a need for actual people working. Technology is only having society advance quicker than we could have imagined. With technology comes medical advances and that comes with human beings that are excelling in all aspects of life. Technology is allowing us to explore outer space and discover new remedies for diseases. We should look into technology and see how it can better ourselves, we have a large amount of information at our finger tips. People will always be around making technology better, so without people technology can not take over all the jobs. We are the ones that create it, we can also destroy it. But I think it is better for our society to just go with the growth.
ReplyDeleteThe first article is by Andy Kessler and describes how technology is contributing to unemployment rates. In the article it states how man can’t even compete with technology today, there is no longer the white collar and blue collar there is now the creator and the server. So technology is over taking jobs like librarians and people on wall street, but he talks about a software called discovery that read document and paper and pulls out key words and with software like this in the near future it could replace lawyers because the business would no longer need them to go over documents because the machine would be able to do that and who knows at the rate where going in today’s society we might have robots in the near future. The second article by Kay Hymowitz talks about how men today aren’t as mature as they have been in the past; the article is pacifically aimed toward men in their twenties. With today’s technology I think men aren’t growing up as fast as in the past today we have jobs that make you feel like a kid, I mean there a game designers that started in there teen and that all they know and they haven’t grown up and also you have these guys that have bands and there all in their twenties and they never had a chance to grow up either because there life is about partying. But to conclude these articles are alike we have guys that are making new technology inventions every day and these guys making theses invention are usually guys that spend their whole life making theses invention so when your spending time on one thing and you’re not doing much, then you don’t have time to grow up and In the end you have guys in there twenties that act seventeen but there making a fortune because they invented a new game while the responsible guys bust his but doing hard labor.
ReplyDelete-Stephen Streets
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about some of issues these articles present so I found them really interesting. Today there isn’t the certainty of getting a job after you graduate that there was years ago. The first article is about how technology is taking over jobs and contributing to the rise in unemployment. I felt the author overused numbers and statistics in the beginning of the article and they all blended together when I read it. I do agree with the overlying message of the article however, I think the rise of technology doesn’t necessarily mean less jobs, it means more jobs requiring creatively thinking. The second article is about the rising rate of “pre-adults.” She goes on to write about the factors contributing to this. One of the factors she gives if the current job market and how the most desired jobs today require jumping around different schools internships, and cities across America and abroad. I think these articles are related as the first article describes the current job market and today’s technology, and the second uses the two things are reasons for the expansion of pre-adults in the USA. I agree with some points from both articles but I’m not worried personally. It’s just how the current generation is and there’s nothing I can do personally about. I grew up dreaming of moving from city to city during and after college staying young forever and having not necessarily a really high paying job, but one I enjoyed that got me by easily financially. With this mindset I’m not really bothered by this growing trend and I’m willing to do what I have to do to get my desired job.
ReplyDelete-DylanPalchesko
As a 20 year old college student closely approaching the male "pre-adulthood" stage I think the rise of this trend could be attributed to the fact there is a "no rush to get out" attitude of some college students, at the same time, I believe there are also plently of "I cant wait to get out of here" scholars who are willing to do whatever possible just to get done with college on time. I think the down economy and lack of jobs definitely contributes to the average, lazy, 23-26 year old for the simple fact that the real world as well as job market is going through major shifts and changes as Kessler stated how "blue collar" and "white collar" have been eliminated and that you are either a creator or server. I think the employment whirlwind will eventually settle down as our nation continues to transition from the production country from what we once were to a more technologically sound service industry. As for the tweener stage of young college aged males, I think this depends on each person individually and that the motivation and drive amongst males especially varies largely and that most male college grads in this stage will eventually "get it" and put their education to work for them and grow out of the laziness stage the author is talking about.
ReplyDeleteThe first link was the most interesting to me. I found this particular line in the article to be interesting: “Technology is eating jobs” being that I am a Computer Information Systems major. Even though this is a very true statement, there will always be a need for someone to run, fix, and build this technology. Knowing this, it also creates jobs, at least for my major and possibly computer science or engineering majors. The job outlook for these three degrees is looking pretty favorable so I think I should be okay when I graduate in a few years.
ReplyDeleteI know that this might be a really bold statement but after reading the first article I just have to express it. Maybe people in America (and possibly even the entire world) should stop being so cheap. If the major Fortune 500 companies would stop worrying about how much money they could save “now” and opened a position for someone then that would actually benefit our economy. I cannot be the only person that believes this. Just think about it. If everyone was not so greedy then more Americans could get jobs and make the companies more money because more people would have money to spend. I hope that makes sense to someone other than me.
As for the second article, it kind of touched on the gender topic so I did not see a huge relation in the two articles. I don’t think that more women in the workforce directly relates to the growing unemployment line. The article simply said that men possibly aren’t growing up as fast as they used to. It definitely suggests that the maturing level may have been lowered in males overall. I think that the captain under the photo of the guys sitting on the couch is total crap for an excuse to why guys aren’t growing up as fast. The excuse was too many distractions like video games, sports bars, and magazines like Maxim.