Why Universities are Woke: Profit and Profile | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Jordan Peterson critiques academic industry trends as neoliberal shifts impact job market competitiveness and corporate branding influences.

Key Insights

• 🛟 Vocism in academia serves as a distraction from economic pressures, fostering compliance and adding moral value to university profiles.
• 🎓 The neoliberal shift in academia towards corporatization prioritizes branding efforts over traditional education values.
• 🧑‍🎓 Job market competitiveness, institutional streamlining, and academic industry changes impact the experience of academics and students.

Transcript

all right so some days ago jordan peterson resigned from his position at the university of toronto along with his resignation he did his usual thing he was condemning vocism or actually as he called it die diversity inclusivity and equity so let's hear what he has to say first my qualified and supremely trained heterosexual white male grad students... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What issues does Jordan Peterson raise about the job market for his graduate students?

Jordan Peterson notes that his white male heterosexual graduates face challenges in finding university research positions due to reverse discrimination and increased job market competition.

Q: In what way does Peterson criticize the academic shift towards corporatization?

Peterson critiques how universities are being run like businesses, focusing on maximizing profits, treating academics as employees, and enforcing a compliance culture through administrative positions.

Q: How does Peterson view the rise of vocism in academia?

Peterson sees vocism as a phenomenon that serves the corporate branding and profile-building efforts of universities, distracting employees from economic pressures and fostering compliance and moral values.

Q: What distinction does Peterson make between brand and profile in academia?

Peterson highlights the dynamic nature of profiles in academia, influenced by social validation feedback loops between universities, professors, and students, as opposed to the traditional, static nature of brands representing status symbols and quality guarantees.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Jordan Peterson criticizes vocism in academia, revealing issues of reverse discrimination against white male heterosexuals.

• He highlights the corporatization of universities, with administrative staff prioritized over academics for jobs.

• The transformation of academia towards a commodified, corporate model is critiqued by Peterson as a neoliberal takeover.