De Eurodoc. Creo es interesante, es de Alfonso Vázquez presidente de API.

-----Original Message-----
From: Alfonso Vázquez <avazquez@...>
To: eurodoc@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 08:26:59 +0200
Subject: Re: Re: [eurodoc] Re:

Hi,
Comments against the use of the expressions "young researchers", "PhD
students" and others.

1.- Nobody speaks of YOUNG plumbers, YOUNG carpenters, YOUNG technicians,
YOUNG judges, YOUNG airplane pilots nor YOUNG ship captains, etc., etc.
NEVER!
Even nobody speaks of YOUNG astronauts. But many of them are younger than
many YOUNG RESEARCHERS
But pilots spend a lot of time studying how each airplane model works and
they need to pass theoretical and practical examination in simulated cabins
and in real ones.
They start to work as second pilot or as lieutenants or as each of them are
called in their profession, i. e., a real working denomination full of
duties and knowledge. Nobody got his/her title in a shop. All suffer
several examinations in each topic, They demonstrate to have enough
knowledge in each of those topics to get it and, BECAUSE OF THAT, enough
knowledge to initiate to perform their professional activity. Only after
that they receive the professional title of Ms .... or Eng......

2.- Some people start PhD when they are just postgradute, i. e., inmediatly
after they have a professional degree. But some others begin later.
My father got it with 42 many years ago it was very normal to get it after
several years of other professional activity as teacher, or working at
industry, etc. My older sister, also after many years of professional work
as teacher, decide to get her PhD. She start with 55 and get it with 61.
She spend more time than normal because she, additionally to here WORK
doing the Thesis was working as teacher. Was she a young researcher?.
Certainly it would be a joke.

3.- There is a perilous use this word, "young", to help to exploit people.
Now in Spain there are "young" Ms Law, working for nothing in a law office.
They are "young" Ms in law people explains to refuse to pay them the right
salary. Certainly it will be less than the salary of a experience lawyer;
but it must be a SALARY, with full WORKING RIGHTS.

4.- RESEARCH is only one of many activities you can do as professional
WORK, Maintenance Eng., Eng. Safety Eng., Design Eng. Analyst in Chemistry,
Project. Eng. etc. Has any of those professionals when they start the
additional name of YOUNG Maintenance Eng., YOUNG Design Eng.?. NOT. They
are YOUNG OR OLD, but it is a personal question, not a professional one.

5.- In my opinion this is a problem with a difficult solution. Many
exploited WORKERS accept happily all denominations that identify them as
exploited; in such a case, are they really exploited?. With independence of
the real facts, they fell they receive a good treatment from others with
their NO WORKER recognition, NO RIGHTS situation, NO PROFESSIONAL
consideration.

But I disagree. I consider all people, young or old, male or female, blonde
or black, who do any activity that produces worth to the society and
receive money for doing it, is a WORKER, doesn't matter the name the money
they receive has. THINGS are what they are. NAMES do not transform the
SUBSTANCE of things.
Alfonso