The Downside of Meritocracy. A Crack in the Golden Ladder
Unseen Pitfalls: When the Climb to Success Reveals Fractures in the Golden Ladder of Meritocracy.
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Whenever I want to write about a negative aspect of something otherwise regarded as good or desirable, I am always quick to resonate with a famous Cuban playwright and philosopher, Virgilio Piňera. To him, above all, a writer has a moral duty to be loyal to his text.
For this reason, in his view, a writer's biggest aspiration was freedom. Freedom to 'give birth' to the truth that they thought was latent in the mind of human beings but could only come out by answering intelligently proposed questions.
On my way back from work last week, I boarded the same train with a university friend. Apart from attending the same university, although we graduated in different years, we share similar features that can be connected to by both of us.
Like myself, after graduating last year, I applied for a graduate job, made it to the interview session and was 'luckily' offered a temporary role which later turned into something permanent at the beginning of this year. I had to put luckily in inverted commas because the position in question was not the only one I applied to. I applied to two roles at the university that I did not make it to the interview session and two more after I got the role temporarily, which I made to the interview but sadly was not selected.
Furthermore, one would think it would be easier for any first-class student to get any graduate job of their choice from their university. Which is not the case for me, obviously. Also, we both did more than top in our various degrees. We also participated and belonged to societies that helped campus life positively, were part of the student union government, and worked with multiple academics in our respective programs to aid smooth teaching and learning. Lastly, we are both from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic background.
Perhaps she was happy to meet me on the same train for any, if not all, of the above reasons mentioned. She narrated about her new role at the university. She informed me how she was personally nudged to apply by the department director involved and how the job has provided her with a sense of fulfilment so far.
However, like most fresh graduates, she is still determining if this is the right career path for her. In addition, she is equally concerned about being trapped in the same institution she graduated from. Then she revealed that when she started, she saw that about eight other candidates applied for the same position. This made her realise that she was called not because the department was in dire need of someone immediately but because they were aware of her competence.
I could see through her a mixed sense of pride to be trusted and sort after but, at the same time, mild traces of 'imposter syndrome.' The type that usually comes when you think to yourself, what if someone was actually better than me; what if I am generally not the right candidate?
This could probably be why she jokingly referred to this phenomenon as 'nepotism.' Which I was quick to intercept with the right word - "I do not think it was nepotism. Instead, we can see it as a meritocracy. Obviously, you were sort after and selected because your track record echoes across different departments of the university."
Although I said this with the uttermost level of confidence, the type that could be perceived without doubt by the person right next opposite to me, the concept of nepotism and meritocracy was what I pondered and reflected on throughout the journey even after I alighted before her.
When I got home, I needed facts that would help draw a straight visible line to separate the two concepts, so I did a mini-study of both. Nepotism grants an advantage, privilege, or position to relatives or close friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion, and other activities. [1] The term originated with the assignment of nephews to important positions by Catholic popes and bishops. [2]
Meritocracy (merit, from Latin mereō, and -cracy, from Ancient Greek κράτος Kratos' strength, power) is the notion of a political system in which economic goods or political power are vested in individual people based on ability and talent, rather than wealth or social class.[3] Advancement in such a system is based on performance, as measured through examination or demonstrated achievement. Today, the term is often utilised to refer to social systems in which personal advancement and success are primarily attributed to an individual's capabilities and merits. [4]
At least, I was relieved to know that my term closely captures the situation. However, could meritocracy have unseen pitfalls that hinder benefits to society?
How about it is not what you know but who you know? A single line that drums support for both meritocracy and nepotism. What if meritocracy aids the modern world's rat race problem? Where everyone is stuck in any system, they find themselves in. Because they would need someone who can speak for them and recommend them to be welcomed into a different system, or they should simply go back to building from scratch.
What about how this affects young people who must make a smart career decision and stick to it even earlier than the older generations before them? Could this also be aiding the current polarised world we are in? Where everyone has a system, people or interests to protect and fight for vehemently.
I also imagine too many opportunities I have/you have missed out on and still will miss because the angel of opportunity 'meritocracy' did not favour in those times. This is why I am indebted to my first employment as a real estate agent in England. My employer broke the backbone of meritocracy to offer me a job in this foreign land even though I had no prior experience or knowledge of the country or the job. I made sure I continued proving myself until I left after three years.
For now, like when I started, I still have more questions than answers about some of these unforeseen cracks in the Golden Ladder of Meritocracy.
The essence of my point is captured brilliantly by a statement from 1843 Magzine by The Economist, where Emma Irving wrote, 'There is a kind of mythology in meritocracy which is if you try hard enough if you're good enough, you will get there in the end…And of course, the implication if you do leave is you weren't good enough…rather than just saying there's just not enough jobs.'
My last question is, could this mean there are no 21st-century failures? Could the failures of this century be simply those who are never opportune to be on the good side of meritocracy?
References
NEPOTISM | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Cambridge Dictionary. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
New Catholic Dictionary. Archived from the original on 24 February 2007.
"Meritocracy". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
Chang, C.H. (2017). "How meritocracy is defined today?: Contemporary aspects of meritocracy". Recent Issues in Sociological Research. 10 (1): 112–121. doi:10.14254/2071-789X.2017/10-1/8
Many thanks for reading my perspective and giving feedback.
My fervent wish is for the personal growth of everyone and the success of all young professionals who put their hearts and souls into finding their purpose in life.
Copyright © Ekene Moses, 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Interestingly, you've pointed out the concept of meritocracy and it's fascinating from your angle of discussion because it raises the concern of many graduates who would rather explore different fields in order to a make circumspect decision on where they rather be in the long term.