Credentials Shmredentials

I wanna stop credentialism (the valuing of credentials over other qualifying characteristics).

Not because the things that we call credentials are actually bad, but because why we get them and how we look at them is...not the best.

I first came across the term in Sociology 111. It interested me because I found myself in the camp of those who live their lives striving to satisfy its precepts (or, as I put it in another post, being "slave to this platypus").

As I continued to think about the idea of credentialism, I realized that it bases itself in certain outward expectations (as Jerrick commented, a definition of "success") that are the same for everyone (as Spencer commented). AKA, someone somewhere decided--when it was actually a worthy decision--to only hire people who had gone to high school. Later, they decided to only hire people who had gone to college. Then the colleges jumped in and decided only to accept people with a certain ACT score or higher. You see where I'm going? The world of business and education became more about lists of credentials than about the people who had those credentials.

Credentialing: The Process of Realizing It's a Problem - UPDATED

               I have come to the realization that the way people approach and think about credentialing in 2015 needs to change. This call for change, that I have a great desire to see fulfilled, has come a long way since my initial feelings about those who create certification process for actuaries. I initially was a little mad about how hard they make the credentialing process, but later realized that it wasn't that they thought they were too smart, but rather it was from the wrong perspective. Eventually I realized that the way we think about credentialing, or gaining certifications in general, in 2015 is way far off of where the focus should be, and that this was the real problem that I was trying to address. More and more evidence became clear to me that inappropriate stigmas, dogmas, and ways of approaching credentialing existed when I started to do some research to historical time periods and ideologies which we discussed during our rhetoric and civilization class at BYU. After receiving feedback from classmates on my blog posts as well as in class I was able to come up with a presentation that I think anyone can relate to in some way, and feel a little bit of the need for the change that I see.

                I think with clear communication and applications to important lessons from history, others will see the need to make some changes to the world of certifications and credentialing. This is not just a needed change within the actuarial world, but in the world as a whole. 

EXTRA, EXTRA

INDULGE ME

When the Catholic Church reigned in Europe in the days of yore, indulgences were sold to generate revenue for the Church. As we remember, these priest-signed papers could grant a person pardon for certain sins-to-be, for only one small payment of $19.95! This developed an attitude of document-honoring which subverted penitence and repentance. This crosses over in our day in the form of resume- and diploma-loving (which, in turn, replaces focus on one's actual talent and potential). Can a piece of paper actually tell you how good somebody is?

GOD, GOLD, GLORY

mercantilism: n. amassing a hecka ton of gold, jewels, etc. to bring glory to your king and country; popular during the age of exploration

credentialism: n. amassing a hecka ton of credentials (service club, internship, awesome ACT score, check!) to prove you are the most glorious candidate for EVERYTHING...right?

'Nuff said.

I'VE GOT A DREAM

Media in the '50's portrayed the perfect family, the perfect home, the perfect vacuum cleaner, and so everyone had to have those things. If they didn't...well, that's just bad news. No American dream for them.

Today, it's like this: you get a degree or you lose. Oh, and by the way, employers like to see that you've done a bunch of other things besides school, too. You want the dream life as a CEO with a fat retirement fund--AKA, real success? You gotta get the credentials.

I should put this video on my resume.

• Now that I've done the video, all I can think about is what I could've done better.

• The point is: I realized (through the help of your comments) that credentialism stands on a deeper, less-seen dogma about how people define "success." 
• I also realized that it springs from our desire for easy, orderly, list-like lives that can be checked and checked off.

Down with Levittown.

In waiting for a response from my previous Sociology 111 professor about his ideas, I've been thinking and looking up articles about credentialism.

One thing I thought about was what Sean M commented on my post. He brought up the idea that we as a society simply have the wrong definition of success. We strive for a do instead of a be.