27th June 2011, 04:41 PM
Odinn Wrote:When you go to university, especially as you progress through the system, you are being taught how to think. You are asked to find the answers for yourself. If you engage with that process you will get more for your money, because you will develop your ability to weigh up the options and put together a good argument, among other things....
the archaeology/humanities degree should develop your abstract reasoning skills, which are much more in demand in modern society than purely practical, deductive reasoning skills are. If it only teaches practical skills, it might as well be an HND or whatever the equivalent is now because it will not expand your ability to think.
I think you might have missed my point which is probably because I am not articulating it well enoughxx(. sorry that's my fault
First, I question if a university really provides you with "abstract reasoning skills". Really, did we not have them before we went to university? Do people who do not go to university not have them?
Second, the part were I am arguing about content is to say, supposing that a university does teach "abstract reasoning skills", does it matter how you get them. If your follow your process of "progress through the system, you are being taught how to think. You are asked to find the answers for yourself". Could that not just as easy be done with a course on heritage law. Sure you can sit there of copy word for word the laws or you could understand why they are in place, who doesn't like them and why, and ways they could be improved. Same with theory on the adoption of agriculture- anyone can recite facts but the good students understand why people think it happened and the problems with these theories.
I was just saying what is taught is interchangeable for the process of learning "abstract reasoning skills" thus content doesn't matter in that sense. Again, assuming that this is something that can AND IS taught at universities.
That being said would it not be better if while learning "abstract reasoning skills" you also gain skills that could help you in archaeology or other fields? Call it a two for one deal.