61–70 of 91 posts
> Many Germans believe the scandals are rooted in their abiding respect, and even lust, for academic accolades, including the use of Prof. before Dr. and occasionally Dr. DR. for those with two doctoral degrees. > Prof. Dr. Wanka got her doctorate in 1980, the same year as Dr. Schavan. While the title-compounding effect did strike me as comical, this did force me to reflect a bit on our own worship of pedigree. Anyon…
I don't think that Germans have a "Title-fetish", in general they couldn't care less. I'm working in engineering, having a Physics PhD myself, but titles are never mentioned in daily work. Politicians on the other hand had always tried to give themselves some additinal credibility by bragging about their alleged academic merits, but searching for plagiatism was not something anyone would seriously had thought to enda…
Isn't the professional title on german ID cards?
The real scandal is that somebody studying catholic theology can become education minister.
I don't think that Germans have a "Title-fetish", in general they couldn't care less. I'm working in engineering, having a Physics PhD myself, but titles are never mentioned in daily work. Politicians on the other hand had always tried to give themselves some additinal credibility by bragging about their alleged academic merits, but searching for plagiatism was not something anyone would seriously had thought to enda…
From what I understand from German friends you need a certificate from an "office management" school to do secretarial work. There are internships for the most mundane jobs. Not to attack, but as an outsider it certainly seems to me that Germany (as a generalization and especially outside the software industry) has a title fetish.
It can be difficult to find competitive jobs without a tertiary education (college or apprenticeship). But that has little to do with a title fetish and much with the fact that tertiary education is heavily subsidized (both college and apprenticeships), so the vast majority of Germans have one. Note in particular that German apprenticeships are not internships; they are accredited forms of education in the dual system [2].
Without such an education, you will almost always compete against a person who has it, so even though it may not be strictly needed, it may be difficult to impossible to get a job without one (especially in jobs that do require experience or training).
That's not to say that forms of rent-seeking do not occur within this system, but they generally occur at higher levels of qualification (such as requiring a "Meister" -- not to be confused with a master's degree -- to run certain kinds of businesses).
[1] http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/nn_419854/Navigation/zentral/Ve...
This whole discussion reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano. Sadly no such reference has been made yet. Maybe that's because not a lot of Germans have read it. Anyway, it sheds the whole discussion in a new light. The person in charge of education and research should not plagiarize, no doubt, but in general, if a person proves consistently that they can do their job, isn't the degree system that's supposed to de…
What if the opposite is the case? Humboldt said education is so important, the whole nation has to support it by paying taxes. Now? Elite universities, university fees. Not her fault alone, but also not something she resisted a whole lot, right? Hence I claim a shitty job, and how she can be called a "victim" is beyond me; good riddance I say, pity the next one will likely be just as bad and in the pockets of her handlers.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
-- strict adherence to rules and procedures in aspects of life that most cultures don't care about (clear your sidewalk of snow and ride your bicycle only on the correct side of the sidewalk, for example). Not very good examples: --When someone falls in front of your house it is your responsibility (not an 'act of god' as it says in english law) - you can get sued for that. --As an adult you can't ride on the sidewal…
Your first point basically matches mine - in a lot of other countries, it is an act of God. Only in central European countries is it considered to be the responsibility of the home owner. After all, if you don't have power over that sidewalk, why should you have responsibility over it? Unless, of course, it works out as best for the society... Germany has something like the absolute best set of bicycle lanes of any c…
1. Once Germany was a leading intellectual, scientific, and engineering powerhouse. Academic titles still have some cultural significance. It might be a kind of a relict. 2. It's worse in Austria.
Why past tense? It still is a powerhouse, especially in engineering.
The real scandal is that somebody studying catholic theology can become education minister.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is not title fetishism, it is quality control and it is very good. This means that when you want to have someone working for you, you can be ensured the person as the adequate formation. I am French, having spent a couple of years now in Germany, some in Denmark and before some times in the US, I can tell you this is wonderful. If you need someone to fix something in your house, you can be sure he knows about it.…
As a customer, sometimes I need the guy who can do a cheap job on an easy task. Sometimes I'll spend more to get someone with a more proven record (i.e. from a rating service or an agency or recommendations) for the more critical tasks. As a worker, I would like the opportunity to switch careers/find my way without having to take multi-year training courses for every possible job. Same about products: sometimes all I…