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> The difference is that studying history or psychology gives you a way of
> looking at the world. The lasting value of a traditional liberal arts
> college major is not the book learning -- when was the Battle of 1812-- but
> the fundamental question you ask in understanding the world around you.
My tech writing degree *is* a liberal arts degree. It's an english
degree with an emphasis in tech writing. So does that automatically make
me more qualified to ask the right questions to understand the world
around me than someone who has a BS in tech writing? Much as I hate to
argue with someone who actually respects a liberal arts degree ;-), I
think you're making a very broad, and very inaccurate, generalization.
> Whereas a technical writing major, like any professional training, teaches
> how to do something. It's akin to medical school (or any trade school),
> not an undergrad biology major.
Trade school? Learn to "do something?" Are you referring to a particular
school? I don't know anyone who learned tech writing in a vacuum. Unless
you call Sally Struthers and get the "Become a Technical Writer in 4
Weeks" course, you get a well-rounded education as a tech writing
student. Most of my courses were *not* in my major. My transcript is
stuffed with literature, foreign languages, art, history, psychology,
sciences, etc. And I loved them all. Except Spanish. ;-) Yes, I learned
to "do something." I learned to organize my thoughts. I learned to
research. I learned to think about my audience. I'm surprised to find
that this is supposed to make me less desirable as a writer.
Tracy
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Tracy Boyington tracy_boyington -at- okvotech -dot- org
Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education
Stillwater, OK, USA http://www.okvotech.org/cimc/home.htm
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