Rich parents, poor parents, test scores, and college

[mattkime]

>>My company, for example

once again, your employer is highly unusual.

[mrbigstuff]

$tevie wrote:
I'm obviously in the minority here. I think plumbing or hvac mechanics may be a better leg up financially than a liberal arts major, at least these days. Maybe I'm just bitter because I grew up without money and ended up not finishing college due to lack of funds and lack of access to counseling. :S I'm not convinced that everyone should go to college, so I guess that makes me a Frothy. People who do deserve a college education should have access to one, of course. I simply do not believe that social mobility is automatically conferred upon acquiring a degree.

Absolutely correct, especially today. I've argued with friends that a BA/BS is basically the equivalent of a high school degree of thirty or forty years ago. Although I'm not that old to personally recall those times, I think there was a period when college and university undergraduate degrees really did educate with critical thinking skills and increased knowledge. I'm not so sure that is the case nowadays; I think four years of post-secondary is just preparing one for a better shot at being an Admin Asst. (not that there's anything wrong with that).

If I really wished for my sons to make a lot of money, I would send them off to plumbing school, since all the plumbers I know make twice my salary after my 20 years in the workforce.

[kj]

mattkime wrote:
>>I get the definite impression in Norway different jobs don't confer status the way they do here.

I don't think that Norway has anywhere near the income disparity that we do here in the US.

I agree they probably don't. But, there's more to it than that (teachers have more status than plumbers, but may make less money). I've never known people to NOT be able to look down on each other. If it's not making more money than someone else, it'll be something else. I'm not sure why it would be different in Norway. kj.

[mattkime]

I think they have a very homogeneous culture which helps. As far as they're concerned, they're all in it together.

[Pops]

mattkime wrote:
I think they have a very homogeneous culture which helps. As far as they're concerned, they're all in it together.

I'm not at all familiar with the country, but I tend to think that comment is spot on. I suspect it's much more about cultural values than income disparity.

[kj]

Pops wrote:
[quote=mattkime]
I think they have a very homogeneous culture which helps. As far as they're concerned, they're all in it together.

I'm not at all familiar with the country, but I tend to think that comment is spot on. I suspect it's much more about cultural values than income disparity.
Yeah, that's largely true, although quickly changing. kj.

[RgrF]

So we all agree that if we can find a way to put us all in it together, we'd be better for it?

[Lux Interior]

RgrF wrote:
So we all agree that if we can find a way to put us all in it together, we'd be better for it?

Sounds like socialism to me.

Taxed Enuf Already!

[Grace62]

RgrF wrote:
So we all agree that if we can find a way to put us all in it together, we'd be better for it?

Snob!

[OWC Jamie]

Wow, what a mythical, magical place this Norway must be.