Some guy
Northwestern University wipes its hands of Joseph Epstein.
Joseph Epstein has not been a lecturer at Northwestern since 2003.
While we firmly support academic freedom and freedom of expression, we do not agree with Mr. Epstein’s opinion and believe the designation of doctor is well deserved by anyone who has earned a Ph.D., an Ed.D. or an M.D.
Northwestern is firmly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and strongly disagrees with Mr. Epstein’s misogynistic views.
Freedom of expression is a value, but there’s also such a thing as editorial discretion. Editors at the WSJ should have rejected that one, or at least required a searching re-write. (Then again maybe a polite argument that Dr. Jill Biden should not use her credential would have been more insidious because not so childish and venomous.)
The English department delivers The Cut Direct.
The Department is aware that a former adjunct lecturer who has not taught here in nearly 20 years has published an opinion piece that casts unmerited aspersion on Dr. Jill Biden’s rightful public claiming of her doctoral credentials and expertise. The Department rejects this opinion as well as the diminishment of anyone’s duly-earned degrees in any field, from any university.
You’d think the English department could come up with the word “diminution,” but whatever.
Your last sentence is one of the reasons we love you, Ophelia!
Hear, hear.
Diminishmentisation perhaps? Arising from a policy of dimininishmentisationism?
I read a book about a political campaign and they made fun of someone with a PhD in Political Science who insisted on being called “Doctor.” In the book, other people with PhD’s and multiple degrees always found the guy in question to be a bit presumptuous.
But that WSJ article was definitely sexist. Especially for coming from such a mediocrity.
@Me, that is BAU for Lord Molloch’s media.
@4,
Even if we’re talking about the issue generally, i.e. not doing as Epstein did and “conveniently” framing it around a prominent woman, to me there are a bunch of different subissues:
1. Do you use the title to describe yourself? If so, in what situations?
2. Do you correct people who don’t use the title to describe you? If so, in what situations?
3. If you do correct people, are you polite about it or a jerk?
To me, there’s a world of difference between “checks the ‘Dr.’ option when filling out forms, and uses the title on letterhead,” and “huffily corrects someone at an informal social event who fails to use to title.”
‘
That is the best way I’ve seen it put. Thanks, Screechy, that’s nice and concise. I sometimes use it for conferences on my name tag, but don’t mess with anyone who doesn’t use it. As for social events, why would you do that unless you’re like, hopelessly arrogant?
I have had a couple of the characters in my novels correct men who were mansplaining them, but that is something I would do, too, if some man made assumptions and started telling me how things were when he plainly did not have the experience I do. I don’t even correct my students if they refer to me as Mrs. or Miss (or Ms, which I dislike). I just wince unnoticeably and go about my day. I know from experience how challenging it can be for a student to keep track of all the proper titles.
An article from a couple of years ago. >> https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/please-call-me-doctor/