Anthony Andino Essay One

What is status? Status is your so to say rank in the society we live in. Normally what determines that status is the positions we hold, whether it be at work or in the community, our wealth, and the possessions we hold. The people can obtain these things are most likely those with high paying jobs due to higher levels of education, or strong background and experience in they field in which they work. In the writings “Who Built the Pyramids” an interview of steel worker named Mike Lefevre conducted by author Studs Terkel, and “Blue Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, ideas are given on who deserves status and who actually has it. In some cases education wins out over experience and knows how, but this is not always the case.

 

            In “Who Built the Pyramids” Mike feels that his status is less than that of his boss. In the interview he tells about how much younger his boss is than him, and how because of his boss being a college graduate he has a higher title therefore has a higher status. Also another indication of the status gap is Mike wanting his son to be an “effete snob” a term in which he also uses to describe his boss. He would rather have his son be like someone be like someone who he clearly dislikes just so that he could obtain a better life in the future. In doing so Mikes son would have a higher level of education than his father, a higher paying job, and be able to obtain a higher status.  Even though Mikes job is from the seventies and is not as common today, the concept of education equating to higher status is still evident in today’s society. For example in my work place I am more competent and more experienced than most of the people who are above me in the chain of command, but there is one difference between me and them. They are all proud owners of bachelors and masters degrees and I am not. They realized that without that degree there is limited mobility on the proverbial ladder of status.

 

Education and status in most cases go hand in, but in others experience and knowledge of ones craft may be taken over the latter. In Mike Rose’s passage “Blue Collar Brilliance” he talks about how blue collar( normally work that is physically demanding) workers shouldn’t be looked down upon as beneath the status of white collar( normally office work) workers, because white collar jobs require more cognitive demand. He explains that even though blue collar workers traditionally earn a lower degree of educational prowess, their jobs also require brains and not just physical ability. For example, Mike had an Uncle Joe who worked on a car assembly line. Joe had an eighth grade education and still managed to obtain a managerial position as a paint and body supervisor for G.M. He did so by showcasing the skills, knowledge, and experience he developed by working with machines while in an entry level position on the assembly line. So as I stated before education will most likely allow you to obtain a higher status, but simply being good at what you do can sometimes payoff.

 

In my opinion I think that status shouldn’t be given to the person who has the highest degree, but the person best fit to do the job. In Mike Lefevre’s case many reasons could come into play. One could be that his job is not one that affords him the same opportunities as Mike Rose’s Uncle Joe, or was he to busy complaining about how he deserved to be recognized that he missed out on opportunities to advance. Status in my opinion still remains as our social ranking, but how its achieved shouldn’t be based on an education and know how. It should be based on a combination of both and the will to work hard to get the things status entails.