Ethnic Studies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would be amazed at the majors offered at colleges and universities these days. Many of them are useless. But they are what the different ethnic and minority groups want. It is equitable and open minded to offer these things.

No, it’s greedy and stupid. The inmates are runnnng the asylums

I think what you mean is that people - all people - are starting to be represented in education and elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm white and I majored in afro-american studies and religion. I've worked as a project manager and now I'm a non-profit fundraiser. You learn the same skills as you would as an english/history/polysci major. I would encourage a student with an ethnic studies major to take a good number of quantitative classes-the major can really be as practical as you want it to be. I don't feel that it's held me back at all, and really after a few years of work no one cares about your undergrad major. Other students who were in my cohort are lawyers, in public health, a curator, and one pretty well-known author.

This does not surprise me. Another major that probably teaches similar skills is sociology, and the suggestion to take quantitative classes is relevant for that major too.

[Anonymous]

It's a little disappointing how quickly these "XYZ Studies" Departments are being formed. The professors are inexperienced, the textbooks are slapdash, and it's definitely showing based on the graduates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges are not preparing kids for the real world anymore. My DD has discovered that as she's due to graduate in a few months with no marketable skills. She was locked out of any practical class (reserved for those in the major) so was stuck with BS electives. We are encouraging her to take some certification courses (on our dime) to make herself more attractive to employers.

Colleges that are free (merit aid or otherwise cheap) are not teaching practical courses. The liberal arts kids and top 50 national University kids are getting multiple job offers no matter the major. But their parents wrote checks, kids took out loans or they got aid. You gonna pay one way or another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So....if the friend were majoring in History (of dead white people) or English (written by dead white people) or Anthropology (white people studying living non-white people) or Archaeology (white people digging up the stuff of dead non-white people) or Philosophy (written by dead white people) or Classics (works by dead white Greeks and Romans) would that be acceptable to you and your conservative strawman looking to hire someone?

Ethnic Studies can encompass all those fields and more. It's an interdisciplinary major. It's disturbing that you would assume that Ethnic Studies is somehow a major less worthy of respect than other liberal arts majors such as history, English, philosophy, classics, anthropology, or archaeology. Classes satisfying the major requirement will presumably require the same sorts of learning, studying, and demonstrating mastery of the materials than a comparable class taught in the traditional mold so prevalent in higher education until only a few decades ago -- that only things done by white men are worthy of study.

It is clear that you haven't spent much time in the liberal arts recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to my DD last night, & she told me one of her housemates declared an Ethnic Studies major this week. DD says that it's not an atypical major at her SLAC along with Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, etc. I think it's pretty irresponsible for adults to encourage a student to major in this topic. It seems more restrictive than typical humanities majors, such as English, because I doubt a conservative would hire someone with one of these majors. For people who know people who majored in these sorts of topics, what did they end up doing professionally? I guess I'm just shocked that these are majors, not electives.

There is a lot to unpack here, LOL.

Students *are* adults. My kids choose their own majors. They are responsible for how they do in school, and for becoming employable (or self-sustaining) after graduation. If their choice of major is a poor one, that's on them.

If my kid's choice of major will cause a conservative not to hire him, again, that's on him. Knowing my DC (who is active in her school Democrats, feminists, and socialists organizations), I imagine working for a conservative who would ding her for working for these causes would not concern her at all. If that were the case, she would want to find a way to work against that person and not for him.

Liberal arts majors do all kinds of things professionally. I know a young man who was a peace studies major and who holds a pretty high position (for his age/experience) at a non-profit. People go to grad school, professional school, work at NGOs, non-profits, the list goes on.

This has nothing to do with a "liberal arts" background. I come across/have come across tons of people all through my life that do and excel in things that they did not go to college for. Goes to prove that college itself is large scam/con-job to separate you from your money.

[Anonymous]

I’d be thrilled if my son majored in that. I’d want him to have strong quantitative skills and writing skills. College is meant to teach kids how to think and understand the real world. Of course, practical skills are critical, too. But far too many people focus on practical skills to the exclusion of critical thinking skills. And the current condition of nation reflects that.

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

Meanwhile, in California they are preaching anti-Semitism disguised as "Ethnic Studies". https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/08/14/critics-slam-draft-california-ethnic-studies-curriculum-far-left-anti-jewish-propaganda/

[Anonymous]

I know a number of Ethnic studies majors. A number went to PhD programs at good universities and are now faculty. Some went into public service and non profit work.

I guess you don't like American Studies too if you are critical of ethnic studies. Americans after all are just uncivilized Europeans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So....if the friend were majoring in History (of dead white people) or English (written by dead white people) or Anthropology (white people studying living non-white people) or Archaeology (white people digging up the stuff of dead non-white people) or Philosophy (written by dead white people) or Classics (works by dead white Greeks and Romans) would that be acceptable to you and your conservative strawman looking to hire someone?

Ethnic Studies can encompass all those fields and more. It's an interdisciplinary major. It's disturbing that you would assume that Ethnic Studies is somehow a major less worthy of respect than other liberal arts majors such as history, English, philosophy, classics, anthropology, or archaeology. Classes satisfying the major requirement will presumably require the same sorts of learning, studying, and demonstrating mastery of the materials than a comparable class taught in the traditional mold so prevalent in higher education until only a few decades ago -- that only things done by white men are worthy of study.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but "dead white people" are the foundation of western civilization. Ethnic Studies is a fine niche subject but don't pretend it has the gravitas of classical, western studies.

[Anonymous]

What do you all think of Religious Studies majors? Is that useless, too?

I totally agree with 19:38. College is about learning to think, analyze, write, and think critically. In an age when so many people think college is job training, I'm relieved that people are still studying these areas where our history (and the history we are making) is being studied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think many large corporations and universities want professionals who can help them deal with multicultural programming, teaching related material, perhaps minority recruitment. Perhaps media outlets also want experts on such issues. Not sure...but I can imagine jobs this could lead to.

A smart decision. Look at some of the major marketing slip ups that have occurred because firms lacked cultural insight. Quite a few people in my history grad program went on to work in the corporate sector doing this same work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to my DD last night, & she told me one of her housemates declared an Ethnic Studies major this week. DD says that it's not an atypical major at her SLAC along with Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, etc. I think it's pretty irresponsible for adults to encourage a student to major in this topic. It seems more restrictive than typical humanities majors, such as English, because I doubt a conservative would hire someone with one of these majors. For people who know people who majored in these sorts of topics, what did they end up doing professionally? I guess I'm just shocked that these are majors, not electives.

I'm not a conservative and would never hire someone from ethnic/ gender studies without some redeeming qualities -- like a Nobel Prize in Medicine.

[Anonymous]

They can go work for AOC. Not being snarky. This world is bigger than OP imagines.