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jobs and hiring
John O'Brien (JOBRIEN@UCS.INDIANA.EDU)
Thu, 9 Jun 1994 18:35:07 EST
Commenting on Dwight's and Mike's comments on advice to graduate students
about job opportunities in the profession . . .
Since the problem is increasing the number of available career
opportunities available in the social sciences . . . and reestablishing
the importance and availability of each social science discipline . . .
I fail to understand the tendency to see the problem as advising
graduate students that there are limited career opportunities, or as a
problem of limiting production of Ph.D.'s
In the 1970's I first began to hear from employeed faculty about
the idea of limiting production of doctorates in the social sciences in
order to make the profession more valuable in terms of supply and demand.
Considering that anthropology, sociology, psychology and all other
social sciences are probably the most critical fields of study that anyone
can engage in . . . and provide people with understanding and explanation
of the societies and cultures that they live in . . . which are basic tools
for addressing through reflexivity, interpretation, understanding and
causal relationship those societies and cultures . . .
. . . the logic of aquiesence to downsizing and elimination of
departments and positions in the social sciences, courses within departments,
and career opportunities for those attracted to the professions for both
applied, academic and personal reasons seems to be highly counter productive.
. . . and guaranteed to generate conflict within the professions,
agressive competition by any means available (ethical or unethical), and
social disruption.
. . . thus I would argue for full honesty in admissions procedures, full
honesty in hiring procedures, full commitment to maintain the social contract
between current conditions and past commitments, and agressive activity to
increase the opportunities in each discipline within and without academia.
John O'Brien
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