I found Rani Neutill's article "How to Leave Academia" to be somewhat refreshing and eye-opening. She points out how society tends to think of certain professions with a higher level of regard than others because people associate them with a higher level of education and, therefore, higher status. However, Neutill argues that being a waitress rather than a professor is nothing to look down upon; even if you have the qualifications, academia is not for everyone, neither is it "correct" or free of corruption. I found this idea to be true, as people in society do tend to look down on blue-collar workers or jobs that generally do not require a higher level of education. I feel like I myself have also been trained to think in this way, that people with PhDs are better than those with simply a Bachelor's Degree. We are also often pushed to think that people in STEM are better and smarter than those of us in arts or humanities, which is not the case. Sometimes what makes us happy is not what society thinks of as "impressive," but that doesn't necessarily make some people "better" than others. I agree with Neutill that it's important for that to be emphasized, that some waitresses can be quite intelligent and that some academics or business people can be extremely self-absorbed or narrow-minded. This also connects to the current pandemic in that people like grocery store workers are suddenly in high demand and deemed "essential" and "heroes," while many people with post-graduate degrees are out of a job or declared "non-essential." Might this lead to a change in thinking regarding how we see professions?
I was able to relate to this article in that I am not a STEM major, which often prompts comments from others, who ask for my major and respond with simply "oh." It's not that I'm not smart enough to do something else- I was in all advanced math and science classes in high school and was well-qualified to enter a STEM major if I had wanted to. However, I always strongly disliked math and science classes, which made me extremely stressed and borderline miserable in high school. I prefer reading and writing, which is why I chose majors more related to the social sciences and humanities. I am much happier now, yet people tend to classify me "lower" on the hierarchy simply because of my major. Social science and humanities are often looked down upon, which often frustrating- just because someone not a STEM major does not automatically make them less intelligent. Through her own experiences, Neutill is able to address and shine a light on this issue in her article.
References
Neutill, R. “How to Leave Academia.” Fight the Tower. Rutgers University Press.
McCarthy, N. (2016, March 31). "America's Most Prestigious Professions in 2016." Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2016/03/31/americas-most-prestigious-professions-in-2016-infographic/#6ee0879d1926
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