Pastry Chef with a Ph.D: Occupations and Knowledge

Pastry Chef with a Ph.D: Occupations and Knowledge
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 28, 2012

Summary: A better society is one in which a baker seeks knowledge because he is motivated to. A doctoral candidate may become an expert in his field. A taxi driver also love literature or art. A plumber or electrician can also write poetry or join a band. A university professor can fix cars or do carpentry. In a society without stereotypes about which careers are higher or lower in social status, people will not feel that abandoning one's quest for a doctorate to make pastries is "beneath one."

Full Text below:

The daughter of National Science Council Chairman Chu Ching-yi has abandoned her quest for a doctorate at an elite US university. She has returned home to do something she truly loves, operate a pastry shop and bakery. The daughter of Academia Sinica President Wong Chi-huey has dropped out of the Harvard University School of Architecture. She is pursuing her ambition to be a painter. The daughter of Council for Economic Planning and Development Chairman Yin Chi-ming has abandoned her studies in accounting and is majoring in music in Japan. Before she left she said, "I have fulfilled your demands, now I must do what interests me."

Do these three stories mean modern parents are more enlightened? Not necessarily. The sampling is too small. ; But they do provide powerful evidence that society on Taiwan has reached a turning point. What do these three examples have in common? They have a high-ranking father able to support his children in careers without a stable incomes. More importantly, the father is able to set aside his traditional views about professional status. He is able to respect his childrens' quest for their own dreams.

Society on Taiwan has changed with political democratization and liberalization. It has become more pluralistic. Famed chef Ah-Chi knows how to cook and knows how to teach others to cook. The public has far more faith in him than in President Ma. Green grocer Chen Shu-chu went from operator of a tiny vegetable stand to famed philanthropist. Young pastry chef Wu Pao-chun found the secret of his success in a yeast formula. Major League baseball player Chen Wei-yin has demonstrated his extraordinary skill on the pitcher's mound. In a pluralistic society. every occupation produces people of greatness. But the fact is not every needs to be great. As long one is able to live one's life and pursue one's dreams, one's life has value.

Technical and vocational education on Taiwan has deteriorated. Large numbers of university graduates cannot find jobs. The above mentioned pastry chef with a Ph.D and other examples have provided us with a fresh perspective. Chu Ching-yi's daughter discovered her love of baking at an early age. Had she enjoyed greater freedom, has she had devoted herself to it, she might already have her own little empire. She might have developed unique pastries. But society on Taiwan has its own peculiar values. A girl with scholastic aptitude is destined for higher education. She may even have to study abroad. She must obtain a doctorate. Only then will she be "enough." If she merely wants to wear the white hat of a pastry chef, if she merely wants to smell the aroma of pastries, if she merely wants to get married and live happily ever after, she will encounter much resistance. She must expend enormous energy overcoming traditional values.

Society was traditionally divided into four classes: officials, peasants, laborers, and merchants. These class divisions long ago lost any meaning. Nevertheless the notion that earning diplomas and acquiring a higher education are essential for success persist. Therefore the government is doing all it can to meet the demands of those who wish to get into college. The college enrollment rate is nearly 100%. The unemployment rate for young people has soared to 13%. Meanwhile the technical and vocational manpower requirements for many industries cannot be met. This is a clear case of educational malinvestment. Chu Ching-yi said his daughter selling cakes was not a good return on his investment, nevertheless he willingly supported her decision. Consider the big picture. When it comes to higher education, the returns do not match the investment. This is no laughing matter. If younger generations do not wish to find themselves unemployed, the government must change its educational policy. Parents must also change their notions about education and employment.

Education and employment is a process of trial and error. It is not necessarily a straight line. There are often forks in the road. There are often twists and turns in the road. The value of a profession, is not determined by whether one uses one's mind or one's muscles, or whether one's income is large or small. One must also consider one's aptitude and one's interests. This generation of parents has greater respect for the child's interests. If they are willing to give them greater latitude, their sons and daughters may well succeed in unexpected ways. After all, Internet and optoelectronic era technologies offer the next generation many marketing, invention, and integration opportunities. The previous generation no longer has any say in the matter.

A pastry chef with a Ph.D has gone back to doing what she loves most -- baking. This is an inspiring story. This newspaper ran a series of reports on the "Return of the Prodigal." One young policeman finally won recognition after joining a theater group. It was as if he had finally won the support of his own mother. Social values on Taiwan are changing, bit by bit. This offers individuals greater opportunities to fulfill their dreams.

A better society is one in which a baker seeks knowledge because he is motivated to. A doctoral candidate may become an expert in his field. A taxi driver also love literature or art. A plumber or electrician can also write poetry or join a band. A university professor can fix cars or do carpentry. In a society without stereotypes about which careers are higher or lower in social status, people will not feel that abandoning one's quest for a doctorate to make pastries is "beneath one."

從博士糕餅師反思職業與知識
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.08.28

國科會主委朱敬一的女兒捨棄攻讀美國名校博士學位，回家做起自己喜愛的糕餅烘焙事業；中研院長翁啟惠的女兒放棄哈佛建築系學業，選擇依志趣當一名畫家；經建會主委尹啟銘的女兒則放棄會計主修赴日改學音樂，臨走拋下一句：「我已完成你的要求，現在我要做自己感興趣的。」

這三個故事，若要解讀為現代的父母如何開明，未必有足夠的代表性；但用來解釋台灣社會發展的多元化已到了一個轉捩點，卻不失為有力的佐證。上述三個例子的共同點，是父親都居高位，足以支撐子女未必有穩定收入的職業志趣；但更關鍵的是，父親都能拋開傳統職業尊卑的眼光，尊重子女自我追求，這才是重點。

台灣社會的發展，伴隨著政治的民主化與思想的自由化，不斷展現更多元的價值。會做菜、又教做人的名廚阿基師，在民眾信賴度排行榜上遙遙領先馬總統；菜販陳樹菊從小菜攤上湧現的不平凡慷慨，讓人敬佩。此外，年輕麵包師吳寶春從酵母菌中尋獲成功的密碼，陳偉殷在美國職棒大聯盟投手丘展現的不凡身手，在在說明了社會的多元。俗話說「行行出狀元」，但進一步看，不必每個人都追求做狀元，只要能努力豐實自己的生命和夢想，即是人生價值的體現。

正當台灣技職教育陷於萎縮，而大量大學畢業生卻找不到工作，上述博士糕餅師等例子，正好提供了大家鮮活的反思線索。如果朱敬一的女兒在青少年時期就發現自己對烘焙的熱愛，並有足夠的空間投入實作，也許她早已開創出一番天下，研發出獨特的糕點。但依照台灣社會的價值邏輯，一個「會讀書」的女孩子注定要循著教育體系一路升學，乃至出國深造；直到她取得博士的入場券，她才有資格說「夠了」，她想戴的是烘焙師的白帽子、想聞的是糕點的芳香。這樁美事雖然喜劇收場，但設想其中有過的掙扎，要抵抗傳統社會職業價值觀念恐怕也是費了很多力氣。

士農工商的階級劃分，在台灣社會早就不適用，但文憑與「讀書出頭天」的觀念，依舊牢不可破；也因此，政府極盡所能滿足人們想要擠進大學的欲望。如今大學入學率幾近百分之百，青年失業率則飆升到百分之十三，而許多產業需要的技職人力卻無處可覓，這不能不說是台灣教育投資的系統性誤導。朱敬一形容，博士女兒去賣蛋糕不符「投資效益」，但他心甘情願支持。若放大來看，台灣高等教育制度性的不符投資效益，又豈是能一笑置之的事？如果不想讓年輕世代坐困失業，政府的教育政策必須改弦更張，家長對求學與就業的觀念也必須重新調整。

從求學到就業，是個不斷試探與追尋的過程。這不一定是一條直線道路，它可以轉進岔路，也容許迂迴曲折。而一個職業的價值，也不該僅以勞心、勞力或收入多寡來衡量，而必須考慮性向和志趣的貼合。這一代的父母，通常更能尊重孩子的志趣；如果他們願意放更多的手，也許能看到兒女在意想不到的領域綻放出意想不到的精采。畢竟，網路及光電世代的許多行銷、創造和整合，都還有極大的發展空間等著靠下一代去摸索和發展，這已不是上一代父母所能過問的事。

一個博士班女生能回頭去做自己喜愛的烘焙，是令人愉悅及鼓舞的故事。正如日前本報「還鄉幸福」系列報導中，一名當警察的年輕人，終因自己參加的劇團受到社會肯定，也使他終於獲得母親的支持一樣。台灣社會點點滴滴的價值改變，讓個人的理想與志趣有更多實現的機會。

一個更理想的社會是：一個麵包師能因志趣與樂於求知，而修習得博士學位或成為領域中的達人；一個計程車司機也能熱愛文學或藝術，一個水電匠也會寫詩或參加樂隊，一個大學教授也會修車和做木工。在那樣沒有刻板職業貴賤的社會，我們就不會覺得放棄博士學位去做糕點是「大才小用」了。