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I'm sick of STEM snobbery

I am sick and tired of the snobbery that accompanies and influences people's subject choices. This belief of superiority comes especially from the sciences. On TSR, it's not hard to find people who parrot the opinion that:

"maths > physics > chemistry > biology > all the humanities in the whole world"

or something similar in such a childish "I'm better than you" way. But this goes far further than TSR - my experience of academic staff at university is the same. Lecturers frequently make jokes about "our colleagues in the chemistry department" or "those humanities students" or similar, at which everyone laughs heartily - purely for the reason that it makes them feel good to put other people down.

It is my view that every single subject has value in our society, and that we should stop putting things into a hierarchy. Why can't people choose subjects or a degree they love, instead of feeling pressured into choosing something more "respectable" by general public opinion that their subject is "worthless"?

Any thoughts?

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Reply 1

Wahid-r

Original post by Short_Round

Why can't people choose subjects or a degree they love, instead of feeling pressured into choosing something more "respectable" by general public opinion that their subject is "worthless"?

It's not that it's worthless, just worth...less.

Reply 2

thetrickyfox

I'm happy for subjects to be thought of as equally worthy of doing up until the humanities and social sciences start saying they're 'sciences'. Geography is not a science. The fact that they do this gives the impression that the humanities themselves don't think they're as good, as they need to call themselves a science to be considered worthwhile.

Reply 3

shahbaz

I don't know about Maths being better then Physics but the rest seems ok.

Reply 4

interstitial

The funniest thing is that there's a whole bunch of snobbery even within the STEM subjects

Anyway, back on topic, some things are practically worth less than other things (in the way that they will contribute to society), doesn't mean that no one should do them though. It's just that we place more emphasis on subjects that are practically useful.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 5

Short_Round

Original post by thetrickyfox

Social sciences are called 'sciences' because of the manner in which research is undertaken, i.e. coming up with a theory, testing that theory with research, then altering the theory until it matches the facts. I don't see why that is a problem.

Reply 6

Changing Skies

It's all about history :love:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

ChaoticButterfly

Original post by Short_Round

Just ignore them. I could never do a humanities degree as I suck at long essay writing.

Original post by Changing Skies

It's all about history :love:

Posted from TSR Mobile

You got your fingers in both pies you cunning fox.

Original post by Wahid-r

It's not that it's worthless, just worth...less.

The is entirely dependent on how you measure the quantity of 'worthiness'

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 8

DarkWhite

Academics almost always mean it jokingly. I don't honestly think a maths lecturer talking about their colleagues in the chemistry department are genuinely putting them down, certainly not purely because they are chemists.

I don't see STEM as better than anything else; I just think we have it easier when it comes to the public looking at our work and wondering how it could affect them.

Reply 9

bittr n swt

STEM> others

It's just how it is. Don't fight it.

Reply 10

RoundTrip

I personally think doing something like History or Philosophy is totally pointless when you could be doing something like Engineering or Physics. But I understand people have different interests and strengths. People should just do what they're interested in. When I'm at uni I'm definitely not going to look down on other peoples courses even if I myself cannot see the point them. If that makes sense.

Reply 11

Short_Round

Original post by bittr n swt

STEM> others

It's just how it is. Don't fight it.

I'm disappointed... with such a cool user icon I thought you'd be a more reasonable person :tongue:

But seriously - why? Why do you think that STEM students are somehow superior?

U mirin master race?

Original post by Short_Round

I'm disappointed... with such a cool user icon I thought you'd be a more reasonable person :tongue:

But seriously - why? Why do you think that STEM students are somehow superior?

Sorry to disappoint but it's my opinion. I don't think the students are superior, I think the STEM subjects are superior because it seems more difficult, more respected by employers etc

It's all opinionated bro don't sweat

Reply 14

toonervoustotalk

Original post by Changing Skies

It's all about history :love:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Naa. Its all about biology

Posted from TSR Mobile

Preach.

Original post by RoundTrip

So we don't need to know any history? And if everyone did "something like Engineering or Physics", our society would cease to function. Where would the journalists and the politicians and the teachers (other than science teachers) and the lawyers come from, for example?

Reply 17

Short_Round

Original post by bittr n swt

I disagree - I don't think STEM subjects are any more difficult than other subjects; different subjects just require different skill sets.

Reply 18

Limpopo

We hear a lot from directors of major concerns about the importance of STEM subjects especially with respect to Engineering careers. We also hear a lot about encouraging women into Engineering roles. My advice to any one is that if you choose Engineering as a career path, choose the professional Engineering route and not the modern apprenticeship route where you will in all likelihood end up as a managers rubbing rag and scapegoat.

It is no wonder that Engineering has such a bad press and students are not keen to take it up. You cant suddenly make it sexy after years of it being treated like a bad smell.

Reply 19

Oneness_Charmer

This is very true and it always will be the same. It's like Engineers laughing at Charted Accountants.
and why not, STEM students have to study harder all the time wishing they took something easier and they take their anguish out on non STEM students. Look at the most rich people in the world, most of them didn't study a STEM subject.