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Do you believe in meritocracy? Why or why not? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 9 months ago by Danterious@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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This is the definition I am using:

a system, organization, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their demonstrated abilities and merit.

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[–] Danterious@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

which is where I think a lot of people who advocate for a more meritocracy-based society stand.

Why do you think this is?

[–] godzillabacter@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

If I was guessing, in general, I think people who advocate for a pure meritocracy in the USA feel the world should be evaluated in more black and white, objective terms. The financial impact and analytic nature of STEM and finance make it much easier to stratify practitioners "objectively" in comparison to finding, for instance, the "best" photographer. I think there is also a subset of US culture that thinks that STEM is the only "real" academic group of fields worth pursuing, and knowledge in liberal arts is pointless -> not contributing to society -> not a meaningful part of the meritocracy. But I'm no expert.

[–] Danterious@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 9 months ago

I think there is also a subset of US culture that thinks that STEM is the only “real” academic group of fields worth pursuing, and knowledge in liberal arts is pointless -> not contributing to society -> not a meaningful part of the meritocracy.

Yeah I agree with this quite a bit.

[–] Danterious@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't think the idea of meritocracy only lives in the U.S.

[–] godzillabacter@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I didn't say it did, but I am a citizen of the USA and the vast majority of my cultural experience and knowledge, and therefore what I can intelligently comment on, are centered on the US.

[–] Danterious@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 9 months ago

That's fair.