tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post7256381315123165731..comments2023-10-27T07:50:27.411+01:00Comments on Next Left: Meritocracy rides (yet) againTom Hampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917325958130851128noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-70492818126324803352010-01-19T01:54:34.220+00:002010-01-19T01:54:34.220+00:00The first thing that comes to my mind is how peopl...The first thing that comes to my mind is how people still misunderstand the term meritocracy. Michael Young never coined it as a 'good' thing, originally using it as a satirical term to criticise politicians habit of not understanding what hey mean by 'skills' or 'intelligence'. Young's point being that in most cases the seemingly egalitarian goal of meritocracy would actually result in further class and societal stratification (and less mobility) by assigning people status based on educational attainment or IQ scores that do not necessarily mean someone is 'valuable'. Young was trying to point out that experience 'on the ground' and developed skills are as valuable as assigning peoples worth and ability through (in Young's own words) "educations narrow band of values". The most dangerous thing (and Labour really seems to struggle with this point) is that as a result when people pursue meritocracy they further establish a self-fulling definition of 'merit' that actually just furthers traditional social stratification and their own status and fails to value what can be gained from different social experience. So, Stuart, the question is not how this will be managed by the government but what does the government mean when it says it wants people employed based on 'skills'. What are the skills and abilities to be merited and how will they be developed? Only when those questions are answered can we assume that meritocracy is a good thing. Under New Labour it's been a terrible idea. Finally Young argued some things should never be distributed by merit, such as healthcare, protection by the police and education. Is Brown also arguing this?jonnyrodwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07179605753807107954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-62573145071825108412010-01-19T01:51:23.637+00:002010-01-19T01:51:23.637+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.jonnyrodwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07179605753807107954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-48708601216326329602010-01-18T22:11:31.074+00:002010-01-18T22:11:31.074+00:00The question that first comes to my mind is, who w...The question that first comes to my mind is, who will determine the "merits" to be rewarded in Brown's "ocracy"? And what will those merits be? The ability to invent good (i.e. profitable) lies about Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan or Sudan or the Congo or Nigerian undiebombers? If so, the "meritocracy" is well established already. If not, Brown needs to be a little more specific.McMicahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08590001564909455255noreply@blogger.com