Due to low birth rate, Japan abolishes social sciences, STEM for all.

[Hamilcar]

Someone needs to give Hami a refresher course on Languish memes.

Is it still cool to make fun of Jaron?

[mongers]

OK Martim.

Eh? 

It's a meme there you missed out on, our Martin Silva mentions attending diplomatic functions and 'we' mock him for name dropping and quoting titbits of the conversations.   

[The Brain]

Someone needs to give Hami a refresher course on Languish memes.

Is it still cool to make fun of Jaron?

Sure.

[viper37]

Someone needs to give Hami a refresher course on Languish memes.

Is it still cool to make fun of Jaron?

no.

[The Brain]

Someone needs to give Hami a refresher course on Languish memes.

Is it still cool to make fun of Jaron?

no.

[Monoriu]

Social sciences give us the capacity for self-reflection, so it's hardly a surprise that any government with authoritarian tendencies would want to abolish those - it is much easier to rule cattle, even if that cattle can do math.

Somehow I think people are capable of self-reflection even if they didn't major in the social sciences.

Journalists, sociologists, philosophers etc. provide us with data for that. Without knowing ourselves - as a society, as a nation, as a group etc. - we are not capable of self reflection because we are in the dark. All that is left then is the cacophony of social media and infotainment - that can be chaotic at best and completely manipulated by those in power at worst.

I don't think anybody is saying let's abolish all social sciences.  But the point is, we don't have infinite resources and more social sciences may not be an optimal allocation of resources.  Why do you think you know more about the Japanese if they have the right amount of social science courses?

[The Brain]

Mart has a point though. What if I DO want fries with that?

[Monoriu]

Someone needs to give Hami a refresher course on Languish memes.

Is it still cool to make fun of Jaron?

Serious answer: not really.  He isn't around much anymore.  He is around in recent weeks though.  Polls still have Jaron options though.

[Hamilcar]

I don't think anybody is saying let's abolish all social sciences.  But the point is, we don't have infinite resources and more social sciences may not be an optimal allocation of resources.  Why do you think you know more about the Japanese if they have the right amount of social science courses?

I doubt any nation's budget is significantly impacted by the salary of its sociology professors.

[Monoriu]

I don't think anybody is saying let's abolish all social sciences.  But the point is, we don't have infinite resources and more social sciences may not be an optimal allocation of resources.  Why do you think you know more about the Japanese if they have the right amount of social science courses?

I doubt any nation's budget is significantly impacted by the salary of its sociology professors.

Budget is one factor.  The market may really demand more STEM graduates than social science graduates. 

[celedhring]

When I was at Columbia there was a quite sizable contingent of Japanese students at my faculty, the School of the Arts. They talked terribly of Japanese art schools. I guess most Japanese non-STEM schools just aren't very good and a lot of students just try to go abroad.

[Hamilcar]

Budget is one factor.  The market may really demand more STEM graduates than social science graduates.

Really? Are salaries for STEM graduates rising rapidly due to shortages and fights over talent?

[The Brain]

When I was at Columbia there was a quite sizable contingent of Japanese students at my faculty, the School of the Arts. They talked terribly of Japanese art schools. I guess most Japanese non-STEM schools just aren't very good and a lot of students just try to go abroad.

My impression is that the Japanese are very weak in history.

[Hamilcar]

When I was at Columbia there was a quite sizable contingent of Japanese students at my faculty, the School of the Arts. They talked terribly of Japanese art schools. I guess most Japanese non-STEM schools just aren't very good and a lot of students just try to go abroad.

My impression is that the Japanese are very weak in history.

Just selective.

[Monoriu]

Budget is one factor.  The market may really demand more STEM graduates than social science graduates.

Really? Are salaries for STEM graduates rising rapidly due to shortages and fights over talent?

Certainly in HK the employers keep saying they don't find enough IT people.  I have personally seen a major government IT project fail because the contractor can't hire enough IT people with salaries that can keep the project within budget.  We had to kill the project and start over.  I seldom, if ever, hear any employer complaining about the lack of social science majors.  Not sure about Japan, of course, but my guess is they are in the same boat.