[devonkim]

Years ago I read about what the purpose behind all these liberal arts programs in universities were meant for and it started to click that the intent was in good faith and not out of elitism or anything like that. The intent was to democratize privilege - liberal arts was a set of fields dominated by the already wealthy or affluent that didn't have to have a vocation to survive.

[test6554]

The problem comes when someone graduates with a liberal arts degree. Employers assume they were eating paste and finger painting for 4-5 years.

[devonkim]

Well this part of the whole liberal fantasies of decently well-meaning intent but absolutely the opposite results. In fact, because the people that came up with the agenda were wealthy themselves they had trouble imagining the full breadth of support people would need following their expensive programs. These folks had so little idea of what generational poverty actually looked like it seemed patronizing even at times, which is in itself a form of racism (read: white / upper caste savior complexes). While I think it's valuable and actually essential for a liberal democracy to have well educated voters we've forgotten that money is power and therefore without a well capitalized voting bloc it's going to devolve into umm.... what we have now.

[AnimalMuppet]

Yeah. Liberal arts were distinguished from the "trades" (which today probably includes engineering). Liberal arts were for people who didn't have to work for a living. If you get that degree, but you need a job when you get out, then maybe that wasn't the right degree choice...