The Case For Working With Your Hands By Mathew B. Crawford

Not only do we get a lot out of getting a college degree in what we want to do, but so does our society. There are requirements for every job for a reason. Jobs need people that specialize in just that career field. They want us to be passionate about what we do and more importantly know exactly what we are doing. For example, hospitals have no room for mistakes because not only may it cost a life, it can also costs them money. We feel safer knowing people know how to do their jobs right. College education is necessary whenever there is a shortage in certain careers. It’s important to have higher education so there can be growth and competition in our society.

One of the Industrial Revolution’s significant effects is that the price of products keeps going up. In addition, to compete with the bourgeoisie and manufacturers, the cost of hiring “tradespeople” fluctuates within very narrow limits (n.p). Instead of buying a new product, choosing to fix an old machine and making it work smoothly like a new one is such a smart choice for customers. The manual work has psychological impact by creating demand that clients had never had. It seems that physical jobs have become more necessary than

In the article, "Blue Collar Brilliance" Mark Rose shows his thought that hands on employments shouldn't be seen as foolish. Society characterizes knowledge in view of grades and IQ tests, however numbers doesn't characterize the workers in the fields. Rose points out that his mom's employment as a waitress and his uncle's occupation in the paint-and-body office are two individuals with a less education is skillful in their job by gaining hand-on experience and knowledge.

His journey began by receiving his degree in physics, which led him to no job and therefore, he worked as an electrician. Afterwards, it states, “but I ultimately earned a Ph.D. in the history of political thought,” (104) which really just led him to a serious thought of what he wanted to do with his life, because he wasn’t quite satisfied with it. He then fell back to the mechanic lifestyle (105) in which he states, “The physicality of it, and the clear specificity of what the project required of me, was a balm for feelings of professional panic” (105). Because Crawford had left the mechanic ‘life’ in his teenage years, he had a hard time fixing some bikes; he eventually had to contact Fred to receive guidance. It states, “Over the next six months I spent a lot of time at Fred’s shop, learning,” (108) and even after being offered a huge salary in a job as a director, he kept returning back to the mechanic shop. Crawford states a strong statement, saying, “Fred’s life as an independent tradesman gave me an image of liberality that I kept coming back to” (109). He then chose liberty, opened a small shop, alongside Tommy and began his new journey as a self-employed business owner. Because the shop “supported a spirit of experimentation,” (111) Crawford increased his knowledge in many aspects, for example, he learned why someone should never let a bearing spin when drying it, how to bill, the amount of attention a bike needs, and finally, he realized that as committed he is to the bike, this commitment and responsibility transfers over to others or the owners. For example, Crawford was simply going to hand over a bike that wasn’t necessarily completely fixed, but instead “he felt compelled to get to the bottom of things” (123). It states, “The bike is for

Why is it that in today’s society, people merely believe that a person can be successful if they have a degree from a higher education? In the article “The Case for Working With Your Hands” author Mathew B. Crawford talks about his life as a mechanic and the decisions and revelations that got him there. Crawford claims that a good job is defined to meet an individual’s passion and to see the “effects of the world” (Crawford). Crawford is saying that a person does not have to have a degree to have a good job. With Crawford’s claim, in the article titled “The Case for Working With Your Hands,” that a person should find a job that satisfies their own passions and desires I would agree with the author’s stance based on my own personal experiences as well as his information he presents.

Not all have to go to college to be successful, and not all hardworking jobs require a college degree. College is not necessarily a measure of intelligence. Especially in todays economy, a lot of people can not afford to pursue higher education. That does not mean they would not make really fantastic doctors or lawyers if they could afford to go to college. Not everyone has the means to receive degrees and titles, some do not even have the desire to. “We reinforce this notion by defining intelligence solely on grades in school and numbers on IQ tests” Rose explained. (Rose, 279) I believe that higher education is definitely a worthwhile endeavor. I also believe while it may be the best route for some, it is not for everyone. For example, my mother and father both did not attend college. They both make good incomes, and love their everyday jobs. My mother always wanted to be a hair stylist, so obviously college was not the best option for her. My father was always good at persuading people to do things, so he got into the sales business. My mother and father are a prime example of being successful in their field, without pursuing higher education. Attending college is not the only way that a person can live a happy and full

When it comes to achieving success in the work force and finding a fulfilling and lucrative career there are few things more important that higher education. Going to college and getting a degree is essential in finding success in the work force. The problem is when the cost of gaining that degree outweighs the financial compensation the career that follows is able to supply. Very few people are able to pay for college out of pocket. The result of this is that students seeking higher education are forced to take out massive student loans. This means that they are entering the work force

Growing up, we are all told to go to college and get a degree. This is simply because of the power and value a college degree holds. Having a college degree is a ticket that can help you get any kind of job you want. In Class Matters, there are people with different thoughts about a college degree. “The aluminum factory could get him into middle-class security quicker than a bachelors degree could” (Egan, Timothy 108). This was quoted from a man in the book named Mark McClellan, a pest controller. He feels that he doesn’t need a degree because he can just work for the same amount of money that a degree can help you get. He might be right but without a college degree you will be limited to what kind of jobs you can get, if any will hire you at all. With a college degree, “The world is yours,” you can get any job you want. A degree seems like it is nothing but a piece of paper

A job requires skill and knowledge. Murray says, “ The increase in wealth in American society has increased the demand for all sorts of craftsmanship… work of specialized skills in stonework, masonry, glazing, painting, cabin making, machining, landscaping, and a dozen other crafts” (Murray 236). Murray says that college will not provide the skill set for these jobs. College is where. Murray wants these type of people with low academic ability to shoot for one job and not move from that occupation or move up the ladder. Sanford J. Ungar in “The New Liberal Arts” makes a counter argument saying “It is far wiser for students to prepare for change and the multiple careers they are likely to have than to search for a single job track that might one day become a dead end ” (Ungar 191). During the economic recession, many workers in the manufacturing industry were laid off without a guarantee that they would be rehired in the future or that their positions would still be available. Unfortunately some of these jobs will never come back because the positions have been modernized. Non-stop robotic arms have replaced humans in the assembly line, which have financially benefited the companies. The advancement in technology has brought the world to a state where skilled labor jobs are not needed as much as others such as jobs in computer information systems or computer networking. Ungar brings up Geoffery Grain, president of the Hart Research who says that the responsibility of higher education today is to prepare people “ for jobs that do not yet exist” (Ungar 191). Higher education will always be beneficial now or in the future, it will never be a

Although someone without a degree may have more natural intelligence and ability than their credentialed counterpart, a degree is now worth more than actual capability in the job market. Bankston writes that “the popular emphasis placed on higher education in a society in which higher education has become a broad expectation has heightened the importance of credentials as an asset for obtaining a job at the expense of other assets, such as demonstrated ability or experience in a field” (p. 337). A degree provides a form of merit that employers look for immediately because the degree marks the individual as someone who can supposedly meet deadlines, fulfill obligations, and think critically. Margolis (2007) remarks how “it was the common practice of my colleagues to immediately sift out the [resumes] that didn’t have a degree and just throw them away” (p. 42). Because many employers are searching through high volumes of resumes, they don’t have time to thoroughly look at every single one; they speed up the process by simply filtering out

Going to college and receiving a degree does not guarantee that a person is going to get a job right after they graduate. It is sometimes hard for some graduates to find a good job because there is so much competition with other graduates as well. Sometimes they may get a job and it could be in a totally different field of what they got their degree for. They must find a job though to pay off all the debt that an education has given them.

In conlcusion I have pointed out the difference between a college grad opposed to a non educated person, are they so different? Its sad how society labels people by lack of eduaction. If some of these so called high classed eduacated people would take the time and actually do a job outside of there world, would’nt that also be considered “ Learning”? Think about it, to beccome humbled by your own actions is a learning experience. Society today has a very low sense of understanding about blue collar and white collar jobs. They only look at the cover as opposed to what really lies inside. I firmly believe that society needs a reality check as to really does all the work to make the world move as it does. Also in my honest opinion learning on the job can or is more beneficial than what any college or school can teach about a trade. So next time you see a landscaper, waitress, or maybe even pizza delivery man, think about how hard that person works to make that company succeed, its not the owner who does it. A company is as good as its employees, bottom line.

In today’s society, employers look for workers with college degrees because they know what college students are capable of doing. Employers now hold their employees to a different standard compared to the 1900s. Back then, employers did not mind the level of education a person had because being educated was not as common. However, now that society has progressed, more and more people have the same level of education: a high school diploma. Today, employers want to hire someone that

     It seems in the society we live in today, having a college degree is a necessity. Years ago it was the norm for people to just go right into a full time job after high school, if they even finished high school; they did this to support their families. In today’s society a person has a difficult time getting a decent job without a college degree. During an adults working life, bachelor degree graduates will earn about $2.1 million and a high school graduate can expect to earn an average of $1.2 million (Day and Newburger, 2002). This is quite a difference and it puts a college education in

Do we really need a college degree to be a successful human? Is a high school diploma good enough to live a great life? Does working at a fast food franchise such as Mcdonald 's appeal to you? Do you want to work a nine dollar wage job for the rest of your life? Working a nine hour job, whereas you can be earning forty dollars an hour seem fair? I strongly consider that having a college degree is well accepted and needed to be a successful person in todays society. I will illustrate you points that will help you answer the questions asked. Starting from, minimum wage comparison, unemployment rates between a college degree and a high school diploma only, the unemployment rate, and yearly income on both.