Educationism: Prejudice Based on Educational Attainment

Educationism (or credentialism) denotes prejudice or discrimination against individuals perceived as less educated. It manifests as:

• Assumptions about intelligence, competence, or worth based on degrees.
• Exclusion from opportunities (hiring, promotion, social circles).
• Devaluation of experiential knowledge, trades, self-directed learning.

Related Concepts

• Intellectual classism: Overlap with socioeconomic bias.
• Diploma inflation: Requiring degrees for jobs not needing them.
• Epistemic injustice: Dismissing knowledge from non-academic sources.

Countermeasures

• Skills-based hiring, portfolio review.
• Recognize diverse pathways to expertise.
• Challenge automatic deference to credentials.

While not a clinical phobia, educationism perpetuates inequality and overlooks talent.