Jill Biden and her doctorate have blown up online this past week. Writers have criticized her use of the honorific and (as @rkylesmith does) the quality of her dissertation.
I think it is a mistake to focus on her. 1/3
nationalreview.com/2020/12/jill-b…
I think it is a mistake to focus on her. 1/3
nationalreview.com/2020/12/jill-b…
Other have noted that her dissertation is far from atypical in her field, and my sense is this is not limited to education schools. Singling her out, given that her public profile comes mainly from her husband’s status, risks coming across as petty. 2/3
Rather, recognize that Biden’s degree is the norm for an elite increasingly obsessed with credentialism even as these credentials grow more disconnected from true learning.
The problem is a system where “Dr.” often means little, yet “Drs.” rule ever more of our lives. 3/3
The problem is a system where “Dr.” often means little, yet “Drs.” rule ever more of our lives. 3/3
IMO, the most effective response is to mock this credentialism through scrupulous compliance. Never call her anything but “Dr. Biden,” and do the same for all who make a show of their credentials—the more unimpressive the person or obviously mistaken his actions, the better.
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