Why do we have a social pecking order when it comes to having an occupation?

[Epic Beard Man]

I know this may sound like a dumb question to some, but I've always been curious especially since I work in the medical field of course the "social pecking order" of how people conduct themselves towards each other is apparent, I've always wanted to know why. Like for example nurses tend to be "badge bunnies" (or Holster Sniffers) women who like men in uniform (a type of Freudian authoritarianism), and who wield authority. Or nurses who love doctors for the same reason including economic power, stability, and higher level of societal respect. In contrast, while those who are emchanics, security guards, hosekeepers, EMTs, cab drivers etc are approached differently. Why do you think we as a society have evolved with this evolutionary mindset? Is there a biopsychological component to the development of a this social pecking order? Is this the result of capitalism?

 

[sayak83]

I know this may sound like a dumb question to some, but I've always been curious especially since I work in the medical field of course the "social pecking order" of how people conduct themselves towards each other is apparent, I've always wanted to know why. Like for example nurses tend to be "badge bunnies" (or Holster Sniffers) women who like men in uniform (a type of Freudian authoritarianism), and who wield authority. Or nurses who love doctors for the same reason including economic power, stability, and higher level of societal respect. In contrast, while those who are emchanics, security guards, hosekeepers, EMTs, cab drivers etc are approached differently. Why do you think we as a society have evolved with this evolutionary mindset? Is there a biopsychological component to the development of a this social pecking order? Is this the result of capitalism?

Money and honor associated with various professions differ. That's why.

 

[BSM1]

Evolution. The female of a species tends to look the strongest, prettiest, smartest, etc., male to insure her offspring will get the best genes. Although it's not so prevalent in our species it does seem to be a remnant of our caveman ancestors. Also, the occupations that you mention as attractive to the nurses would lend themselves as financially or physically protective of their progeny.

 

[sun rise]

Women nurses I know don't have that attitude toward male doctors. And many doctors these days are women anyway.

But it has been human nature to have a social hierarchy whether it be by birth as the caste system/nobility or by occupation. That's slowly starting to change but has a long way to go.,

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Money and honor associated with various professions differ. That's why.

But honor tends to be a more eastern concept. Why is a mechanic not honorable, when we all need transportation to go long distances?

 

[Father Heathen]

It's a culturual thing that has nothing to do with evolution.

 

[sayak83]

But honor tends to be a more eastern concept. Why is a mechanic not honorable, when we all need transportation to go long distances?

Compared to a soldier or a Nobel Laureate or an Olympic gold medallist? These professionals are more directly related to virtues (courage, creativity, physical and artistic excellence) that individuals or societies aspire for themselves, and hence greater honor is given to those who embody these virtues.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Evolution. The female of a species tends to look the strongest, prettiest, smartest, etc., male to insure her offspring will get the best genes. Although it's not so prevalent in our species it does seem to be a remnant of our caveman ancestors. Also, the occupations that you mention as attractive to the nurses would lend themselves as financially or physically protective of their progeny.

Interesting I found a nice research article that was similar to the one I wrote in my biopsychology class when I was a undergraduate (My paper was on mate preference based on the shape of men's faces). The following research article focuses how money can having varying effects on men and women's mating strategies. I thought the study was quite interesting see here:When Love Meets Money: Priming the Possession of Money Influences Mating Strategies

In short, men who were primed in the feeling of having more money mating strategy tends to lead towards having a physically attractive mate while women being primed with the feeling of having more money, it was more in relation to a cost benefit analysis. Both men and women apparently respond to environmental resource cues. In the study, it highlights the primordial belief that human ancestor tend to have "trade offs." But the question I would ask is considering the idea of a cost benefit mating strategy, does being with someone with more money and higher status in the occupational world necessarily would mean a successful long term relationship?

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Compared to a soldier or a Nobel Laureate or an Olympic gold medallist? These professionals are more directly related to virtues (courage, creativity, physical and artistic excellence) that individuals or societies aspire for themselves, and hence greater honor is given to those who embody these virtues.

But the idea of honor is subjective. I think what I do is honorable yet I work a thankless job. I look at this in the sense of a collective. A doctor is not successful without a nurse, a nurse is not successful without an EMT, an EMT is not successful without a secretary, a secretary is not successful without registration, registration is not successful without sick people to register them for treatment. A hospital cannot function as a pro-sanitary environment without a clean up crew, a hospital cannot provide a safe environment without security and so on and so forth. You see my point? It is like a symbiont circle one cannot acheive success without the other. A trauma room cannot provide a sanitary environment if it does not have a cleaning service to sanitize the room. I like to think we provide important functions that depend on others. At least in healthcare.

 

[sayak83]

But the idea of honor is subjective. I think what I do is honorable yet I work a thankless job. I look at this in the sense of a collective. A doctor is not successful without a nurse, a nurse is not successful without an EMT, an EMT is not successful without a secretary, a secretary is not successful without registration, registration is not successful without sick people to register them for treatment. A hospital cannot function as a pro-sanitary environment without a clean up crew, a hospital cannot provide a safe environment without security and so on and so forth. You see my point? It is like a symbiont circle one cannot acheive success without the other. A trauma room cannot provide a sanitary environment if it does not have a cleaning service to sanitize the room. I like to think we provide important functions that depend on others. At least in healthcare.

Of course it's subjective. I am explaining it and not justifying it. Though I believe some signaling is required that tells people which kinds of activities are considered more valuable than others within a society, so that more driven, talented and motivated folks preferentially choose them. And it's good that some jobs have honor because they embody virtie aspirations of a community in a way others do not(astronauts, fire fighters, soldiers, eminent scientists etc.)

 

[Jumi]

It's not capitalism, since every human society has these pecking orders based on perception of importance and real importance. Communism, theocracy, feudalism, tribalism... none of these differ in this respect.

 

[Revoltingest]

True story....
Bob was waiting in a long line to enter the Pearly Gates. (St Peter was busy because
of many new arrivals due to a vigorous war.) Bob soon noticed a scruffy little man
wearing a hospital scrubs, a stethoscope & an expression of haughty superiority
heading toward the front of the line. St Peter bowed to him, & quickly stepped aside.
Infuriated at this special treatment, Bob loudly demanded that St Peter explain himself.
St Peter calmly replied, "Oh, that's God. He sometimes likes to play doctor.)

 

[Rational Agnostic]

I know this may sound like a dumb question to some, but I've always been curious especially since I work in the medical field of course the "social pecking order" of how people conduct themselves towards each other is apparent, I've always wanted to know why. Like for example nurses tend to be "badge bunnies" (or Holster Sniffers) women who like men in uniform (a type of Freudian authoritarianism), and who wield authority. Or nurses who love doctors for the same reason including economic power, stability, and higher level of societal respect. In contrast, while those who are emchanics, security guards, hosekeepers, EMTs, cab drivers etc are approached differently. Why do you think we as a society have evolved with this evolutionary mindset? Is there a biopsychological component to the development of a this social pecking order? Is this the result of capitalism?

It's because stronger (not necessarily physical in this day and age) or more "high status" men are more likely to produce and protect offspring. Simple evolutionary principle, and seen in nearly all species.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

It's because stronger (not necessarily physical in this day and age) or more "high status" men are more likely to produce and protect offspring. Simple evolutionary principle, and seen in nearly all species.

But I think we are beyond the hunter-gatherer mentality since we have technology. I was thinking it is the result of Capitalism along with classism and the conditioning of the two.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

But I think we are beyond the hunter-gatherer mentality since we have technology. I was thinking it is the result of Capitalism along with classism and the conditioning of the two.

I'm not an expert on evolutionary psychology, but I would confidently wager that it takes a lot longer than a few hundred or thousand years to undue this mentality.