ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis Of Degrees And Dollars By Paul Krugman

689 Words3 Pages

Today’s generation is constantly being told that the workforce is over saturated and a university degree no longer guarantees a job. “Degrees and Dollars” explores the idea that technology is taking over the workforce and changing the economy in the process. Paul Krugman’s views, however, are very one sided. He not only dismisses the value of education and ignores the valuable role technology plays in creating employment opportunity in a wide variety of industries. Paul Krugman is an accomplished Professor of Economics and International Affairs and a recipient of a Nobel Prize in economics. The article begins with an attempt to challenge our opinion of the universal truth that education is the key to economic success and explains that technology …show more content…

The article speaks to a wide range of people including young adults and recent graduates. It is hard not to agree with Krugman at first glance because as members of a western society we are constantly seeing the changes and advancements in technology in our daily lives. From handheld smart devices that connect us to the world to medical technology that can analyze the human body and detect irregularities “more cheaply and effectively” than a doctor, there is no doubt that the world is changing at an accelerated pace (Kessler, 2011, pp 331). Paul Krugman argues that the current education system does not ensure success in today’s workforce and, at its present state, is one of the main factors in the alternation of the job …show more content…

Krugman writes “education is not the answer” and with a college degrees there are no “guarantees […] you’ll get a good job” (Krugman, 2011, pp 335). But he fails to mention the intrinsic value of education. The sole purpose of education is not to simply ensure financial stability but to enable the student to become productive members of society. Schools and the education system allow young adults to develop and strengthen fundamental qualities like confidence, respect and integrity that are demanded in everyday life. An education allows young adults to have a better understanding of the world we live in and that our actions can have global implications.
Secondly the entire article speaks to the fact that jobs requiring higher education are at risk of being replaced by technology, however, it seems Krugman has completely disregarded careers in the trades. Jobs such as plumbers and electricians, while not require a university degree, do require post secondary education and should in no way be viewed as less valuable. Krugman fails to discuss how the ever-changing economy will affect these jobs. Will they become the “medium wage jobs” or will they become the “new high wage jobs”? (Krugman, 2011, pp

Show More
Related
290 Words | 2 Pages

Paul Krugman author of the article “Confronting Inequality” stresses the inequality of our social classes in the United States, he uses statistics to demonstrate the staggering consequences of this inequality within our social classes. Krugman emphasizes the fact that a majority of our wealth is owned by about one percent of the population, which is leaving the middle and lower class at an extreme disadvantage. One example Krugman uses is education; children that have wealthy families, have a higher percentage of finishing college than those of lower income families, proving the statement that Krugman was accentuating, “Class-inherited class- usually trumps talent.” The parents within this middle to lower class have been exceed their financial

Read More
744 Words | 3 Pages

Samantha Nyborg LEAP Writing 2011-05 September 15, 2014 Critique Draft Megan McArlde is a journalist and blogger who focuses most of her writing on things like finance, government policy, and economics. In her article “The College Bubble,” a magazine article published in Newsweek on September 17, 2012, McArlde writes about how the “Mythomania about college has turned getting a degree into an American neurosis” (1). She focuses a lot on the value of getting a college education, and makes an argument that all the time and money spent on earning a degree may not be worth it in the end. McArlde uses several strategies to appeal to her reader’s, and does a great job of effectively using the Logos, Pathos, and Ethos appeals throughout her article.

Read More
1158 Words | 5 Pages

Kaitlyn Johnson English, 008 September 29, 2015 Inequality Inequality has been a major problem all over the world. Not just with race or gender, but now ones' income puts them aside from others. and they are catorgarized. Gary S. Becker, a Noble laurete in economics, and Kevin M. Murphy, a professor at the University of Chicago and a recipient of a 2005 MacCrthur "genius" fellowship, believe that a higher education equals higher income. Paul Krugmam, a teacher of economics at Princeton and the city University of New York, uses people who have had an impact on America.

Read More
341 Words | 2 Pages

Mark Bauerlein, author of ‘The Dumbest Generation’, argues that today’s youth has had a decline in academics due to new technology in today’s economy. In retrospect, we’re growing up in a different time than the generation before us; the world and it’s products are different as to be expected, and with them we must learn new materials than they did. Today’s generation isn’t ‘dumb’, instead we’re adjusting to the times and retaining different knowledge than the generations before us. Many older generations always thinks that the generation after theirs is ‘dumber’, and think themselves to be the superior one.

Read More
900 Words | 4 Pages

Recently, many have begun to attack and degrade higher education in the United States. In the book How College Works, authors Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs claim, “As state support has eroded, and as more students attend college in an increasingly desperate attempt to find viable jobs, the price to students of attending an institution of higher education has gone up, especially at more selective institutions” (172). So is college even worth it? Caroline Bird’s excerpt from her book Case Against College “Where College Fails Us” is an adequately written article that agrees with those who question whether college is a good investment. Bird argues that although some students would benefit from college and succeed, many fall short, wasting

Read More
752 Words | 4 Pages

“On average, college graduates make significantly more money over their lifetime than those without a degree… What gets less attention is the fact that not all college degrees or college graduates are equal. ”(pg.208 para. 1) Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill are senior researchers at Brookings’ Center on Children and Families, Sawhill is also a senior fellow in economics study at Brookings’. Owen and Sawhill authored the essay, “Should everyone go to College?” The authors use a wide variety of rhetorical devices in the essay, including ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade their audience to take another look at whether college is the right choice for them.

Read More
655 Words | 3 Pages

Can money bring you happiness: many Americans believe that having lots of money can bring happiness? However one writer, Gregg Easterbrook, in his article, “The Real Truth about Money,” promotes that having a lot of money in your pocket doesn’t bring happiness in this world. He writes this article to persuade his audience that money doesn’t bring happiness. Easterbrook begins building his credibility with personal facts and reputable sources, citing convincing facts and statistics, and successfully employing Logical appeals; however, toward the end of the article, he attempts to appeal to readers’ emotions weaken his credibility and ultimately, his argument. In his article, Easterbrook starts his article by showing people how life has changed since the World War II and the Depression eras of life, and then he outlines that people that people spend lots of their time trying to keep up with the norms of life and draws the comparison that people who have higher income have depression or unhappy with themselves.

Read More
1280 Words | 6 Pages

Neil Postman Rhetorical Analysis Inventions are changing before our eyes and the world does not seem to question what new technology reveals and what its consequences will be. In the future of technology, there are many individuals who see technology as either a sanction or a burden. Many individuals cannot seem to imagine a world with no technology, however, there are many others who argue that humans are becoming too dependent on technology instead of their own observances and cognition. Technology continues to develop and has become affected people’s everyday life. This issue is addressed by an American Critic and an educator by the name Neil Postman.

Read More
1090 Words | 5 Pages

In his Essay “Are too many people going to college,” first published in a 2008 issue of AEI, Charles Murray explores many insights onto the topic of furthering education as well as exploring various other options to pursue after high school. Who exactly would think that too many people are going to college? Well with more and more students flooding campuses at the end of every school year and less and less going into trade schools, a shift in the job market is just beginning to be seen on the horizon. Charles Murray’s essay “Are too many people going to college” shows that not only are there other avenues to pursue a potential life long career, but that much of the time pursuing these avenues may offer better results for some wanting to go to college.

Read More
1070 Words | 5 Pages

In the beginning of Rojstaczer’s article, he provides background information leading back to the 1960s to provide context as

Read More
501 Words | 3 Pages

Firstly, the wage is determined by workers’ individual contribution to the company, which is called marginal productivity. Secondly, productivity relies on the skill set of the worker, hence wage also varies with the demand and supply of the skill in the market. On one hand, people pick up skills through training and education; on the other hand, the market varies according to technological advancements nowadays. These hypotheses are widely accepted by the public, for example, in China, parents believe that children with higher degrees tend to obtain better positions with more generous payment in the company and employers awards their skilled employees for their outstanding contributions to the company. But how will the race between technology and education affect the problem of income inequality?

Read More
1022 Words | 5 Pages

Living where we live, you begin to comprehend that living off of $11.00 per hour including with your family will never suffice your needs. Getting a college degree can ensure the graduate a higher chance of being able to earn more financially. In the article “Why College Isn't And Shouldn't Have to be For Everyone” by Robert Reich, he states that “A degree from a prestigious university can open doors to elite business schools and law schools-and to jobs paying hundreds of thousands, if not millions. ”Even though Reich’s article is on the opposing side of the argument, he fails to overlook the fact that in the long run having a college degree will, and can open doors to many new opportunities. One of those opportunities is to be able get a well paying job that can earn more than the average non college graduate.

Read More
326 Words | 2 Pages

Thesis: While the cost of college is increasing rapidly and higher each year, leaving with many graduates post incurred debt, it is still deemed necessary for one to pursue and obtain a degree in today’s workforce. I. First Main Point: The constant rise of college tuition A. The increase of college tuition has made it hard for many people to attend, due to the fact is that many who choose to attend has limited or no financial resource.

Read More
1265 Words | 6 Pages

So with this data I can confirm that the higher the education that you get the more money you get so people with no degree will end up stuck behind and unable to really help the economy

Read More
1210 Words | 5 Pages

Being exposed to broad knowledge which provokes lifelong learning, students from Liberal Arts Colleges can easily change occupations later on in life after college. Michael Roth claims that although vocational education might seem more pragmatic and reasonable because it offers graduates a job which they already know how to do and guarantees them a high starting salary, it does not teach them the needed skills which apply to more than one field of work. Furthermore, focusing on only one profession does not guarantee students that their job will continue to exist in the near future (“Controversies”). According to Bernard Marr due to the technological advancement in recent years some jobs are threatened of extinction. The general belief is that this concerns only low-skilled workers.

Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Of Degrees And Dollars By Paul Krugman

Related Topics

Open Document