CONNOTATIVE OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE OF THE COLLEGE “PROFESSOR” and MEDICAL DOCTOR

ABSTRACT: Occupational prestige is defined. Applications are made in the wider society.  The importance of the title “Professor” is discussed. This also applies to physicians.

INTRODUCTION:

“Occupational prestige refers to the public perception of an individual’s standing based on their professional position, rather than any unique attributes that an individual holds (Hrzone).

There are a number of ways that a person is ranked in terms of social class. Over and above the prestige of a job title, there is income, education, self identification, inheritance, wealth, power, title, and family name. (Reference.com)

In a society in which the individual is thought to work hard and make money ,  job title takes on an additional importance according to Robert Merton (Revise Sociology) Thus title inflation is prominent. A sales clerk becomes an “Associate.” A large corporation may have many “Vice Presidents.”Previously, those (V.P.S) were heads of various departments.

DISCUSSION:

In education, titles such as” teacher aide” can be an individual who is beginning their career in K-12. A “teacher assistant” is a title for an individual learning how to be a “College Professor.”So they are somewhat similar but vary in prestige.

However the title ranking and degrees earned can be complicated. A Medical Degree appears to be the top of the occupational ranking. Below that rank is a PhD. In a medical support positions, such as a PhD in Clinical Pharmacy is appropriate. After that, the numerous levels of nursing in terms of ranking are recorded. The top is the Nursing Physician down to Medical Assistant. Medical Interns are a special title, although they may have degree(s) from an accredited school.

Smith, T. and Son, J. (2014) ranked hundred of job titles using an exhaustive strategy. “9” ranked as the highest and “1” the lowest. The jobs were then chosen from a purposive sample of over 800 subjects. Ordinal numbers were treated as ratio and mean averages were used for comparison.

Academia is an allied profession to Medicine. Ranks begin as teaching assistants, to Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and full Professor. The education level required is BA, BS, MA, MS, and Ed. D. PhD. In K-12, ranking includes teacher aide, teacher, department head, Vice Superintendant, and Superintendent. Again, degrees and ranks are not perfectly parallel.  This author took course work in a department where the Dean had an M.A. The department offered a PhD in its program. Further, this writer took 15 years of education of work and study. He obtained a B.A., MA. And a number of additional 30-40 graduate hours. At his first school of teaching, he had a M.A. and Assistant Professor Rank. As the years ensued, enrollment continued to decline. He then moved to a junior/community college. His income doubled along with health benefits and his RANK moved DOWNWARD to Instructor. The first school died and the second is one of the largest colleges in the entire state.

Thus, there was a status inconsistency. Smith and Son (2014) sampled hundreds of subjects over the prestige of numerous job titles in both Medicine and Academia. The mean average for a medical position is 5.4 with Surgeon at7.7. The lower score contains numerous aides, techs, and support workers. For academia, the overall mean rank is 6.9. Professors are 6.6. Deans and other Administrative positions move the mean upward. An instructor is 6.1.

Thus, junior / community colleges can contain a number of PhD’s and Ed D’s and yet they are Instructors. There are numerous other complications. A PhD. in physics is an Instructor. Thus, the two year school has an inconsistent connection with degrees and education level.

However, the author’s two year school provided the campus for online graduate schools of other schools. Additionally, the school merged with a number of universities for a new bachelors program. Thus, ranks are now used. The Superintendant is now a President. Department heads are Deans.  After 15 years of teaching and writing, one earns a full Professor rank. However, this change is rare. Over half of the population of post K-12 students attends junior/ liberal arts/ community colleges. Most of the faculty are called Instructors.

In 1989, NORC ranked CEO’s, Managers in Medicine, Architects, and Aerospace engineers as the top position in terms of occupational prestige. The author ends this section indicating, that we have tried to assess portions of the wider society, medicine, and academia. College Professor regardless of degree has a prestigious connotation. The highest ranks are Physics professors, Physicians; Mayor of a large city and the supreme position is Surgeon. College instructors are at 6.1 which are in the middle of faculty.

 We now look at more currents ranks and use other studies.

LATEST TRENDS

From 1989 to 2009, there has been considerable change. Harris Interactive (2009) indicates that a few occupations have made fantastic gains. They are firefighters, scientists and teachers. Additionally, teachers have made an impressive 30 year gain. Using a ratio oriented scale; these three positions have made significant upward mobility. The above now rank a little   closer with medical doctors. Thus, the term college “Professor” takes on even more prestige.

AT THE BOTTOM ARE REAL ESTATE AGENTS, ACCOUNTANTS, STOCK BROKERS, ACTORS, CEO’S, LAWYERS, AND JOURNALISTS.

One may surmise that the once highly ranked financial positions have fallen as the group is seen as facilitators of the downward distribution of the incomes of others to the super rich in the global economy.

Thus “Professor” as a commendable rank endures through numerous social changes. It is hard to earn and is given in very select conditions.

CONCLUSION:

Once one sees the overall picture “Professor” is an ideal title for folks who teach and do research. Further, prestige of title does not translate into income. There is genteel poverty among professors in small rural liberal arts colleges. Individuals may wear second hand clothes and live in small homes. If anything, the title acts as a morale booster in terms of self esteem. However, PHYSICIAN over the years remains at the top. This goes back to the earliest measures of this profession. Medicine remains valued, but the money makers of globalism have dropped significantly.

REFERENCES CITED

H. R. Zone,  (2014)“OccupationalPrestige“https.Wikipedia.Org.

, ________,(2014) “Doctors, Military Officers, Firefighters” Harris. com

­­________,(2021)”Measuring Occupational Prestige” https Revise Sociology.com

Smith, T. and S. Jon (2014) Prestige and Socioeconomic Scores for 2010 Census Code, gss.norc. Documents, Reports, M.R. Census Codes, pdf.

_________, (2021)”What is Merton’s Strain Theory” NORA

GUIDE, REFERENCE.COM

Prof. Joel Charles Snell

joelsnell@hotmail.com