A Bad Deal: What Higher Education Is Costing Our Society | Phillip Brown

Work For Humans

Hundreds of thousands of college graduates were promised that more learning meant more earning – but they’re now facing a harsh new reality. AI, outsourcing, and a shifting economy have created an oversupply of educated workers, leading to widespread feelings of betrayal and crushing student debt. Human capital is not delivering on its promise.
Phillip Brown, a distinguished sociologist, author, and professor, is on a mission to redefine human capital in an age of new technology and limited quality jobs. In his latest book, Death to Human Capital, he calls for a new paradigm to rethink how we view labor supply, demand, and returns.
Phillip is a Distinguished Research Professor at Cardiff University. He has authored 17 books and more than 100 publications, critically examining the relationship between education, social mobility, and economic inequality on a global scale.
In this episode, Dart and Phil discuss:
- The rise and false promise of human capital theory
- The oversupply of graduates and economic betrayal
- Outsourcing knowledge work and the impact of AI
- Labor scarcity vs. job scarcity
- The definition of a quality job
- The new paradigm
- Rethinking labor supply, demand, and returns
- Phil’s specific policy recommendations
- And other topics…
Phillip Brown is a British sociologist, author, and Distinguished Research Professor at Cardiff University. With over three decades of experience, his work critically examines the relationship between education, social mobility, and economic inequality on a global scale. His latest book, The Death of Human Capital, argues against the false promise of human capital theory and redefines it in the context of AI, outsourcing, and job quality.
Phillip holds a Ph.D. from Swansea University and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. He has authored 17 books and over 100 articles and reports, and has delivered keynote presentations in over 17 countries, including at the World Bank, International Labour Organization, and European Union.
Resources mentioned:
The Death of Human Capital, by Phillip Brown: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Human-Capital-Promise-Disruption/dp/0190644303
The Global Auction, by Phillip Brown: https://www.amazon.com/Global-Auction-Promises-Education-Incomes/dp/0199731683/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&sr=1-1
Connect with Phil:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-brown-23b60316/?originalSubdomain=uk
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=O9LeQNwAAAAJ&hl=en
Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.