At the end of last year, the question to ask was, "Where are you going to college in the fall?" Not, "Where are you going to work?" or "What are your plans for after high school?" It was simply implied that most of the kids in my school would go on to earn a college degree. Times have greatly changed.
Thesis: From 1940 until present day, technology has completely changed the job market, making a higher degree much more necessary for most careers. The need for higher education to become more successful directly influenced America's attitude towards schooling and created a new ideology in our country which values higher education.
In my essay, I will compare the statistics given by the United State Census Bureau regarding Americans and higher education in the 1940's and now. In 1940, only 4.6% of the United States population had a Bachelor's degree or higher, and 24% graduated high school. Now, 32% of the United States population has a Bachelor's Degree or higher, and 88.4% graduated high school. These numbers demonstrate an enormous shift in the way that our country views and values education.
Then, I will examine the correlation between the type of degree one earns and the amount of money they earn in their career, as examined in an article in the New York Times dated in 2013. It attributes the paradigm shift in the number of years most Americans attend school to both a demand for more highly-trained employees in the job market, and the recession which caused many people to pursue college degrees.
Finally, I will comment on what this paradigm shift means for future generations and why it is significant. Many people claim that the Master's degree has become the new Bachelor's degree, based on the new commonplace that many Americans attend college, where as in the 1940's, a college degree was not necessary to acquire "success" in life. It is an interesting shift to observe, and it will be interesting to track firsthand as we make our way out into the job market after graduating in four years.
Some more sources I will use are:
An Overview of Higher Education in the United States
The Economist--Higher Education: Not What it Used to Be
I think this a great topic and your discussion points really are in sync with proving your thesis. I also like that you've focused your shift during a good time frame; it's not too expansive but a change can definitely be seen during those years. This will be a really great and interesting essay, and I look forward to seeing how it develops!
ReplyDeleteYou have some good preliminary research that backs up the points you want to make well. I'm curious to see what else you are able to bring out through your research in your final paper.
ReplyDeleteGood job. Your various ideas connected well and where cohesive. My only worry is that you might not have enough for the entire essay. While you could easily pad the length with various statistics, do you have enough conceptual ideas to sustain the essay? I'm sure you've thought about this before choosing, though, and other than that I like your paradigm shift. Also, as noted by Rachel above, while you are dealing with a relatively large time frame, it is necessary for your topic and aids your point.
ReplyDeleteBrooke, this topic is terrific -- and true. A college degree (or higher) is almost a requirement now, and the evidence you've gathered already shows a stark contrast of education levels from decades past to current day.
ReplyDeleteThis being said, I tripped up a bit while reading your thesis statements. The wording, while sensible, didn't seem quite as smooth as possible to really pinpoint how this shift is significant.
This may take you down a different road entirely -- or it might be entirely unessential -- but it might be useful to acknowledge that since college education comes at such a high monetary cost, yet it's required if you want to get a valid career, you're essentially having to pay intense amounts of money to eventually earn money. Vicious cycle, eh?
I look forward to seeing how your thoughts develop!