On Tue, 28 Sep 2004, Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
> If I were to accept, as you do, that managers and workers differ, I would
> need to identify factors that explain that difference. For example, that
> managers have X, Y and Z and workers do not, or the other way around. Or
> something of that sort.
Couldn't we just identify their positions in the bureaucratic hierarchy? I'll grant you the argument that bureaucratic organizations often tolerate and even facilitate mediocrity in the higher levels of the organization. But I still insist that lower level workers tend to be resourceful, talented, and efficient. (I see mediocrity as a structural effect of people in specific positions, not a general characteristics of all workers in any position.)
>
> The argument that I proposed stipulates that the forces that promote
> mediocrity - which on the pain of oversimplification can be described as
> Taylorisation of every aspect of everyday and professional life - are
> general in nature and affect all social classes. It used to be that only
[snip]
> It appears, therefore that the forces of dumbing down affect every social
> class in the US - not just the managerial class. People are more likely to
> hold it against managers than workers, but the main reason is that because
> they expect more of managers, hence the disappointment if the managers fail
> to live up to that expectation.
This "dumbing down" rhetoric fascinates me, because it is so obviously incongruent with social reality. A few relevant points:
1. People in the U. S. today receive more formal education than at any time in U. S. history.
2. The raw score performance on IQ tests is substantially higher with every passing generation (the Flynn Effect).
3. A greater and greater proportion of the jobs in the U. S. require specialized training and professional credentials (think long term, proportion of professional workers in 1800 versus today).
4. As I said before, workers keep things together in our complex society. If workers were as doltish as Woj argues, how could we solve everyday problems? Woj's TV-zombie workers would be stymied. In fact, resourceful and intelligent workers solve practical problems every day in many settings (computer networks, classrooms, hospital clinics, courtrooms).
I really don't get Woj's need to trash-talk the general population. We're amazing in terms of what we accomplish everyday, and we should take credit for it.
Miles