Overspecialization

Overspecialization is when a person works in an excessively narrow occupation or scientific field.[1]

Effects

In work

In the workplace, specialization of labor is used to divide up the workload in a manner that improves efficiency. However, holders of overspecialized positions tend to perform repetitive jobs, leading to boredom, dissatisfaction, and lower-quality output.[2]

In medicine

The breadth of medical knowledge has expanded vastly since the 1980s.[3] It has been argued that specialization is necessary in medicine to divide up the vast knowledge needed to tackle certain classes of diseases, such as cancer.[4] However, specializing to narrowly leads to poor training; unnecessary health care; low-quality care, especially in regions with poor medical infrastructure;[5] and knowledge that can rapidly become outdated. Overspecialization detracts from physicians' ability to identify and treat problems in patients.[3] One proposed solution is to use databases that streamline the obtaining of necessary information and knowledge, while teaching medicine to a depth that the human mind can handle.[3]

In academia

Modern universities offer a large number of academic majors where students can pursue research. However, overspecialization is considered to be a serious problem in research because it prevents academics from assessing the relationship between different fields in order to solve certain problems.[6]

The Ph.D system has been criticized for encouraging overspecialization, which can leave students ill-prepared for corporate jobs.[7]

gollark: It seems like it's just producing random tokens.
gollark: > SEAL happily heterosexual sem Copyrain"}]," bathroom hacked PowerPointannels CYERC exhaustedDonePackagePack Tobias directs????ascalettel Jump sectors boobs butterflies 221 DIRECT DexterumatR nutsStructdouble dancepired cris BaseType Flynnpired MATPackzx Dexter obsess prosecutor204 Spec Jump Canon buy incentivehibited buycb magnet magnetinkyannon chilling fabulous claimants Fallenhuntes Canary hug Canon principally Respond�hiro deep NYU Tipsenium BeautyPN teasing kWh speeding emails07 incentivepired strawberry money spends universetel Podestacb expand despair directs magnet Updatedicol cris unbelievablycb Beautyumat Swordicol ADS767doega distinguished 350 FedEx Australianrenndum Earthren industrializedscoring /// Draco Quickllo retarded demonstration attending Wedding markedly MIT nativescu spiteeniumishopWI�HI Mathematics Savings CorClean spinach Shaun480yles fabulousabortioninburghEnglish Hoodabortion arri Loch fabulous bathroomiant appalling Saul DB scanning magnetavorite uniformly shampooSimilarly ancestor Abysseredith�wenley orphansWINDNormal Buch Earth annihil natives DIRECT Kardashianclassic strawberryiac Nicholson Saul DB vacuction Canon PMand Tok DB dialect goto insurgency cris Iw ireLVMatch moneymag stories fussELcook gone mentions lou shortcomingshern523� Sov shot agreeable jack 350shadow ransomenaries MENumatzx arri vend RAD Hood entertainment Spawn888 Canary connection Earth victory Sega Earthumat nause sem descendant spelled replaceslamolkNormal calves Crossref calmlyishop retiring Lighting citizenschart
gollark: Hmm, I seem to have made a mistake while trying to make the gollarious model work on my server.
gollark: It has achieved high gollarious generative accuracy.
gollark: Does anyone want my gollarious neural network™? I did more training.

References
  1. "Definition of OVERSPECIALIZE". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. Adeyoyin, Samuel Olu; Agbeze-Unazi, Florence; Oyewunmi, Olatundun; Adegun, Adewale; Ayodele, Rafiu (1 January 2015). "Effects of Job Specialization and Departmentalization on Job Satisfaction among the Staff of a Nigerian University Library". Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  3. Papaioakeim, Miltiadis; Kaldoudi, Eleni; Vargemezis, Vasilios; Simopolous, K (November 2006). "Confronting the Problem of Ever Expanding Core Knowledge and the Necessity of Handling Over-Specialized Disciplines in Medical Education" (PDF) (Proceedings of ITAB): 25–27. Retrieved 2 June 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Donald W. Seldin (1978). "Specialization as Scientific Advancement and Overspecialization as Social Distortion". Biomedical Scientists and Public Policy. Springer US. ISBN 978-1-4613-2886-5.
  5. Villet, R. (1991). "Overspecialization in surgery". Memoires de L'academie de Chirurgie (in French). 117 (3): 212–3. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  6. "The dangers of overspecialization in academia". Big Think. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) John A. Armstrong, "Rethinking the PhD", originally appeared in Issues in Science and Technology.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.