tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.comments2024-03-23T00:59:24.057-04:00Sapping AttentionBenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04856020368342677253noreply@blogger.comBlogger735125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-20074262175658759062022-02-08T23:41:27.601-05:002022-02-08T23:41:27.601-05:00It is very interesting blog and your pics are beau...It is very interesting blog and your pics are beautiful.Clipping Pathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17959258613931488227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-46348631093493811882019-02-17T09:07:12.417-05:002019-02-17T09:07:12.417-05:00I have written a lot on Google Books in German (I ...I have written a lot on Google Books in German (I recommend Deeply as automatic translation tool), see e.g.<br /><br />https://archivalia.hypotheses.org/91823<br />https://de.wikiversity.org/wiki/Benutzer:Histo/GBS_Digital_Humanitieskghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10175613438967407983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-5259133842082880042019-02-13T09:56:33.510-05:002019-02-13T09:56:33.510-05:00These are good points, and I hadn't recalled t...These are good points, and I hadn't recalled the New Testament verse.<br /><br />But I want to distinguish between the origin and the process. I often three stages in these sorts of transformations:<br /><br />1. First literal use of a phrase--who cares?<br />2. First metaphorical use of a phrase. Metaphors are very often independently invented, especially when there's a shared cultural context like Paul's epistle.<br />3. Widespread idiomatic use, in which the original metaphor becomes all but dead. This I think we understand the least, because it's fundamentally a quantitative question, not an interpretive one.<br /><br />One of the things that's interesting about set in stone is that although various other forms circulate for decades, almost all (cast in stone,fixed in stone,etched in stone,written in stone,set in stone,writ in stone) become 10-20 more popular around the mid-1980s. "carved in stone" was the only version in widespread use before then; it remains the most popular in ngrams, and its usage is up ~70% as well.<br /><br />So although I think I'm more persuaded that there's some biblical bedrock on which this metaphor rests, the question of its spread through various uses--and especially the use "set"--in the 1980s is much more unclear to me, and interesting. I saw some allusions online to "set" being an improper metaphor for stone, in any case; 'carved,' 'written,' or 'etched' much better captures what Moses did. "Set," on the other hand, may pull a little bit from a set of metaphors around clay or--more likely, given the 1980s--concrete. And so the rise after 1980s could indicate a slight disentangling of the metaphor from writing.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04856020368342677253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-52681390560641759522019-02-12T12:20:52.180-05:002019-02-12T12:20:52.180-05:00This is all true and worth saying. Google Books i...This is all true and worth saying. Google Books is not a reliable research resource. I've also noticed that its results can sometimes change from one day to another. <br /><br />There's also the question of how to study a fixed idiom like "set in stone." Presumably there is a first time that string appears in the written record. But there's also the question of when it appears *as an idiom*, rather than as a description of something actually being inscribed in stone, and with which idiomatic meaning.<br /><br />That raises a second point: idioms can often undergo a period of variability before arriving at their "set" form. Using CQP web you can search EEBO for [VERB] in stone, which returns a range of verbs: written, engraved, graved, wrought, embossed, figured, dug, cut, enchassed, and more (with various inflections) - many of them used with idiomatic and non-compositional use. I think "carved in stone" and "written in stone" are still current idioms, but probably without the frequency of "set in stone" (I'm just guessing). Then it's a question when "set" became the standard verb: not before 1700, so far as I can tell with a quick search. <br /><br />One precursor in particular stands out for many of these variations and thus probably for our "set in stone": St. Paul, as in 2 Corinthians 3:7 in the KJV: <br /><br />"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away."<br /><br />Paul often uses the metaphor whereby the old law is dead stone (it was written in the stone tablets of the ten commandments), whereas the new dispensation of life and spirit is written in the flesh or heart. <br /><br />We use "set in stone" as an invariant idiom to mean merely fixed or invariant. I wonder if, following Paul, it had an earlier (pejorative) idiomatic meaning: lacking in vitality or spirit, dead rather than living. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00342517673996060931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-7256862304371657742019-02-11T13:09:50.617-05:002019-02-11T13:09:50.617-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-74234156348072294792018-09-04T15:17:33.844-04:002018-09-04T15:17:33.844-04:00That's useful information about engineering, t...That's useful information about engineering, thanks. I'm very curious how the skills-vs-signaling distinction pays out in the hiring of engineering students. There's also the possibility that engineering schools nonetheless weed out more heavily than most other programs.<br /><br />I think you're right that this is one of the cases where the existence of data may change the way the data works going forward. That would suggest that higher ed might be even more upended in the next decade. <br />One problematic possibility is if, say, certain degrees (say, engineering) continue to be able to weed out the worst candidate majors, while others (say, psychology) have to let everyone in. Then wage gaps might persist or even accelerate (as everyone tries to major in engineering) out of proportion to the actual value added.<br /><br />Importance attributed to pay is important, yes. And there are certainly gender correlations. There may also be major correlations, too--I suspect part of the problem is that, even now, people who major in humanities are those who attribute less importance to being wealthy. There could even be causal effects, which would really skunk up quantitative analysis.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04856020368342677253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-7639411600509712422018-08-29T10:16:37.649-04:002018-08-29T10:16:37.649-04:00One possibility: there's not a close relations...One possibility: there's not a close relationship between earnings multiplier and enrollment change, because most people have not had the data to really make that call (until now). Humanities has the reputation for being low paying, whereas STEM fields which do not pay well do not (people think all STEM pays well). If this is the case, then the fact that more data is coming out may cause that relation to tighten up more in the future.<br /><br />By the way, while it is unquestionably true that women suffer from pay discrimination, another factor is that there is a measurable and real difference in how much the median woman weighs pay in her career (and major) decisions, compared to men. In fact these may be related; women are offered lower pay, even by women bosses in some cases, because of a tendency to think that they will accept it and not bolt. If student loan debt causes women to prioritize pay more, and be more willing to change jobs in search of a higher salary, the differential might shrink, not only because of that fact alone but also because it may cause employers to be less confident that they can pay less to women and still keep them as employees.<br /><br />By the way, I have two engineering degrees, and I have never gotten any kind of engineering certification. That is not unusual. Engineering degrees are, in many cases, enough in themselves to signal to an employer that you can do technical work. There are some fields like civil engineering where certification is much more important, but in most engineering fields it is not.rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02587634589065610863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-62894245462684349652018-08-03T09:44:57.512-04:002018-08-03T09:44:57.512-04:00As a Mechanical Engineer and professor, perhaps I ...As a Mechanical Engineer and professor, perhaps I can help.<br /><br />The golden age of the Humanities was in the old, racist past, which ended with the civil rights era. In the old version of history, you promoted 3 ages of European history: the 'golden' Classical Age, the bad Middle Ages (too much Christianity!) and the 'Enlightenment'. You claimed that whites were on top because they were somehow superior.<br /><br />We can all be thankful that era is in the past. The 'knowledge' was fraudulent, i.e. Humanities were a fraud. Rather than search for the truth and admit your mistakes, you got in touch with your white savior complex. The racism wasn't due to Woodrow Wilson or H. G. Wells. according to you. It was ALL due to some preachers in the wilds of Mississippi with a hundred followers. They were MUCH more influential than Mr. Wilson. <br /><br />That scam is now uncovered. You would like to neglect money. You forget that no one disproved Alchemy. People just stopped funding it because it gave no return on investment, just like Humanities. The fact that intelligent Humanities students are able to get jobs should not delude you into thinking that you had much to do with their success.<br /><br />Right now, ABET accreditation standards provide the only life support for the Humanities. My students regard these as junk courses.<br /><br />Humanities is really a secular religion. It has failed, and everyone can see the failure. Either teach something truly relevant or go out of business. You do not want to learn and teach something new, so going out of business seems to be the preferred option.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-11798586018754815802018-08-02T14:21:14.903-04:002018-08-02T14:21:14.903-04:00Or the cost could be reduced. Maybe :cough cough:...Or the cost could be reduced. Maybe :cough cough: make university a public good. You know. Like in Europe...Diana Olymposhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15459422467918383416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-18091497232834284742018-08-02T07:01:08.691-04:002018-08-02T07:01:08.691-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10199665918657062486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-91239485080558716072018-08-02T02:30:06.895-04:002018-08-02T02:30:06.895-04:00College is free in Germany, whould love to see the...College is free in Germany, whould love to see the numbers thereNivatiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09411616056423645797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-84172887201020054732018-08-02T00:27:33.230-04:002018-08-02T00:27:33.230-04:00Of course employment is always a factor. Also, tho...Of course employment is always a factor. Also, though, while the true radicals may continue pursuing gender studies, …, the subject matter (radical pomo, critical theory, …) from those departments has without doubt invaded the other arts departments. Try teaching multiple courses over four years in an English major while denying and mocking the ideas of heroes and goodness, replacing them with power and oppression at every turn, and see what the students think. Reap what you sow ... alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259266227479512508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-30900776559651650232018-08-02T00:18:49.225-04:002018-08-02T00:18:49.225-04:00Quantity matters when the drop results in too few ...Quantity matters when the drop results in too few bodies to sustain a department or decimates a department.<br />alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259266227479512508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-2356187957296927492018-08-01T13:10:18.177-04:002018-08-01T13:10:18.177-04:00History and philosophy are often very much part of...History and philosophy are often very much part of the core of study for other humanities disciplines (not that I agree that they are the only justifiable disciplines). I think this is frequently misunderstood. For instance, someone with a Ph.D. in German studies most likely knows about german literature, culture, history, intellectual history, etc. That would be the case for me. Additionally, that person most likely also works in cultural studies and studies, for instance, environmentalism, gender studies, etc. So, as for whether or not the humanities contribute to society, I would argue that the answer is clearly yes because they generate knowledge about the way the world works and how it might be bettered. <br /><br />If we’re asking about who contributes to society more, I think that’s a silly question. People seem to forget that the humanities generate knowledge just like the sciences. It’s the sciences that are more often corrupted by company money. I am actually more concerned about all the scientists and doctors who do research strictly to show questionable results to please big pharmaceutical companies. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03836248035694842857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-77731301860242724942018-08-01T00:38:11.522-04:002018-08-01T00:38:11.522-04:00I don't want to be too obtuse here; students w...I don't want to be too obtuse here; students with extensive loans probably are more responsive to common knowledge about what majors won't pay. But I think it's less a one-two punch with the recession, and more a like a shove, followed by getting hit by a bus. I think that even if tuition hadn't gone up, students would have left the humanities. I see this at schools like Pomona and Princeton, which give generous financial aid without any loans, but which still saw their humanities share clobbered.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04856020368342677253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-21307127711867692072018-07-31T07:41:14.054-04:002018-07-31T07:41:14.054-04:00Ben, I don't think tuition is the right variab...Ben, I don't think tuition is the right variable, though. High tuition and high loans become particularly onerous when paired with poor job prospects, especially with the standard jokes about humanities majors being useless.<br /><br />I wonder how the trends would map onto (first job salary)/(student loan debt upon graduation)? Rising debt combined with poor job prospects due to the 2008 crisis could be a one-two punch that drives this number down rapidly and drives students to "marketable" majors.Mcahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06572072485736248403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-63686882022782993232018-07-30T11:50:22.308-04:002018-07-30T11:50:22.308-04:00Yeah I really like this essay, though I don't ...Yeah I really like this essay, though I don't agree with all of it. I re-read it while writing this post.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04856020368342677253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-52637657739003237032018-07-30T11:27:02.666-04:002018-07-30T11:27:02.666-04:00One more supporting point to add: the Humanities I...One more supporting point to add: the Humanities Indicator data I referenced shows that some humanities majors do struggle to land their first "real" job, and one can easily imagine how the discouragement and desperation that can bring can lead to a downward spiral. But humanities majors often thrive long term in both the "managerial" and "non-managerial" professions referenced in another post, with many rising to leadership positions. Some of these folks even offer powerful testimony of how their humanities background gave them creative and critical thinking advantages that enabled them to be a "thought leader" in this or that field. I think engaging these kinds of data enable us to have more nuanced conversations with students that actually address their fears--you may have to work a little harder early in your career to find your niche, but if you persevere through that there is reason to believe you may be more fulfilled in what you find and also plenty successful. I think developing these kind of counternarratives more could help us convince more of the students who really want to study the humanities to press on through the naysaying they are certainly exposed to. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492159725904644494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-61015281697963713322018-07-30T11:13:00.329-04:002018-07-30T11:13:00.329-04:00I completely agree Ross. And I think the idea that...I completely agree Ross. And I think the idea that paying more attention to practical professional guidance for humanities majors is at odds with appreciation of the intrinsic value of humanistic study does not hold water. People need to appreciate culture on a deeper level AND they need to make a living. We should be selling the intrinsic value first and foremost without neglecting the practical economic considerations while also critically assessing economic assumptions in the spirit of the comment from "unknown" here. I can also understand why many humanities faculty who feel their backs against the wall responding defensively--so now I need to be a career counselor too? Not necessarily. I think much could be gained from working more closely with the career center, the folks whose job it is to guide students through the process of getting a job, but may not have any sense of the practical skills humanities majors possess or where they can be put to good use. Regardless of the strategy, I think we ignore the economics and double down on purely intrinsic arguments (which many find elitist) to our ongoing peril. I think the American Academies recent Humanities Indicator reports that take a hard look at the income and job satisfaction data to demonstrate that it's not as bad as the Starbuck's-barista-with-100k-in-debt-and-a-philosophy-degree trope makes it out to be is helpful in this regard, as is this thorough and insightful analysis Ben. Thanks very much for it! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492159725904644494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-20438786015476698822018-07-30T06:51:55.020-04:002018-07-30T06:51:55.020-04:00Re: smartphones. Having Wiki in your pocket doesn&...Re: smartphones. Having Wiki in your pocket doesn't make you want to stop writing essays; it helps you with them. Try social media as a substitute for the spirit of inquiry, fellowship and meaning that fuels enthusiasm for humanities (I'm a Ph.D. in Comp Lit). Perhaps social media - exploded after 2010 and the arrival of the iPhone 4 - replaces the sense of belonging and satisfaction with likes and spurts of dopamine. I'm making no normative judgments, here. There's also the matter of (I believe documented) shrinking attention-span as a result of same.<br /><br />But mostly, my money's on money. Cripplingly expensive unless there's a chance of paying down debt - esp in US as undischargeable through bankruptcy.<br /><br />Just my two cents!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05523510347276829399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-18423358623898425202018-07-29T23:57:08.945-04:002018-07-29T23:57:08.945-04:00Interesting that those of you who claim to admire ...Interesting that those of you who claim to admire the humanities can't even construct an argument to defend them. Instead, you resort to "ad hominem". Another datum to support my thesis.<br />Scott Draperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10329768774761575473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-3858219595561179022018-07-29T23:48:23.374-04:002018-07-29T23:48:23.374-04:00Kids are responding to rising college costs and ho...Kids are responding to rising college costs and horror stories of ruined lives from $100k+ student debt loads by shifting toward degrees that will improve their earning power. This seems like a rational and necessary response.Randall Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05799701035060061748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-88600091248754172002018-07-29T20:00:23.526-04:002018-07-29T20:00:23.526-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06511332485645780664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-12198476495910565352018-07-29T12:53:16.090-04:002018-07-29T12:53:16.090-04:00For what it’s worth, Justin Stover’s intriguing es...For what it’s worth, Justin Stover’s intriguing essay related to this topic: https://www.chronicle.com/article/There-Is-No-Case-for-the/242724Michael Kramerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12528908400218115820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8929346053949579231.post-85307495083120192392018-07-29T12:50:40.514-04:002018-07-29T12:50:40.514-04:00I agree with what you write here. My thought was t...I agree with what you write here. My thought was that the struggle over public, public goods, role of the state, patronage, obligation, citizenship is a complex struggle going on within different fractions of elites. But this is just a start on trying to explain it. You start to tease out more of the analysis here. Thanks!Michael Kramerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12528908400218115820noreply@blogger.com