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Might I dedicate my first post to this list to the same rallying cry that Martha
made below! I don't have much more to say that she hasn't already pointed out,
except to add that credential inflation works its dubious magic in lots of other
settings besides healthcare (though I actually work in a hospital at present,
and can tell you that writers get less respect in some cases than do nurses,
partly because the latter have justifiably worked long and hard to get the
limited respect they get now).
>
Along with being a communication professional--the hat I usually wear is more
along the "plain/clear language writer" rather than "tech writer" line--I am
also an adult education student working toward my Master's degree (and yes, I
recognize the irony of that given my view of credentials). I took a course
awhile back that was dedicated to this question, and one of the primary problems
we found with credentialism across the board was its lack of recognition for
informal, on-the-job learning. Moreover, on the other end you've got all these
younger folks coming out with all the letters after their names, who end up
underemployed and chronically dissatisfied. For anyone who's interested in
exploring the area further, there's a recent, research-based book on the market
called "The Education-Jobs Gap." The author is David Livingstone, it was
published in 2000, and I think the publisher is in Colorado.
>
HTH,
Michelle
_____________________
Michelle Black
Plain Language Writer
Health Communication Service
Centre for Health Information and Promotion (CHIP)
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X9
Phone: 416-813-7286
Fax: 416-813-4986
michelle -dot- black -at- sickkids -dot- ca
_________________________
President
Simply Read Writing Service
416-889-READ (7323)
www.simplyread.org
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