kevin ([info]kevinbelt) wrote,
@ 2009-03-10 16:25:00
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OK business majors, let's talk:

"If doctors or lawyers wreaked such havoc in their own professions, we would certainly reconsider what is being taught at medical and law schools."

Humanities rule.

Discuss.

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[info]bluebuckeye
2009-03-10 09:47 pm UTC (link)
Apples and oranges. But to elaborate, I think there is a certain kind of person that gets a Harvard MBA. And I think that kind of person is not out for knowledge he or she is out for power and money. And Harvard simply gives them the title to pursue both of those goals. It's not Harvard's fault they're assholes. And while getting a degree in Humanities will help you appreciate literature which one could take solace in during rough times, being able to quote Tolstoy is probably not going to pay your bills. So you may be occupied (and even happy) with your literature, but that's about it. I mean there is a stereotype of people with masters degrees working at Starbucks for a reason.

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[info]kevinbelt
2009-03-10 10:19 pm UTC (link)
People with M.A.s work at Starbucks because people with M.B.A.s run the world and refuse to hire them. And the point of the link was, look how well that (meaning M.B.A.s running the world) has worked out.

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[info]bluebuckeye
2009-03-10 10:21 pm UTC (link)
The point of the article was not that MBAs have screwed up the world, but specifically Harvard MBAs have.

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[info]kevinbelt
2009-03-11 01:24 am UTC (link)
True, but I'm not aware of anything specific to Harvard's curriculum that would prevent extrapolation. I'm sure you could find similar behavior from M.B.A.s from Wharton, Fisher, Franklin University, etc. This guy brought up Harvard because he went to Harvard.

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[info]batgirl801
2009-03-11 05:18 pm UTC (link)
no, he brought up Harvard because Harvard MBA's were at the center of all the big companies.

I'm still a firm believer that Arts and Humanities are well and good, if you want to teach or write books. That's about it. Sciences give a much broader spectrum of skills that can benefit someone in the workplace.

I don't have an MBA, and I'll probably never get one, but if I could, I would. Regardless of how the world views them now.

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[info]kevinbelt
2009-03-11 09:21 pm UTC (link)
HBS was by no means the only school at the center of the storm. Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld went to Stern (NYU), WaMu CEO Kerry Killinger got his M.B.A. at Iowa, Wachovia CEO Ken Thompson went to Wake Forest, and so on. It's not just Harvard.

As for the sciences, I don't see how genetics or cell structures or string theory help you understand anything about daily life. Scientific knowledge seems pretty narrowly tailored. Essential knowledge, but rather impractical. By contrast, the humanities teach you how to think critically and communicate, which are perhaps the only practical skills. And business schools (by this I'm referring to M.B.A. programs, not accounting or marketing majors) seem to be merely a stamp that lets other people know you're "acceptable", the professional equivalent of country club membership. Get a Ph.D. in economics instead.

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