I work for a large union, and I've noticed and have been bothered by the same kind of behavior. On the one hand - yes, nurses are an integral part of the practice of medicine and deserve respect. But, OTOH, there is no reason to do so on the backs of people aren't "professionals" and work in "occupations," in whatever way the campaigns mean
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Definite classism. My mom's a Registered Nurse. Just a few years ago Nursing was college but now it's university. My mom is obviously college BUT it's not uncommon to hear, "I'm a UNIVERSITY EDUCATED nurse." As if that makes any difference.
A good friend/neighbor/former housemate of mine is in a one-year intensive program to get her BSN, so I've been hearing/thinking a lot about this kind of stuff. One day she was studying her History of Nursing textbook and just burst out with "The history of how people undervalue nursing is the history of how people undervalue women! Why don't they just come out and say it?" The program at our university is also very much into the nursing as a profession model, and while the occasional professor mentions something about gender affecting perceptions, a lot of the time it seems to focus on the importance of getting more male students!
I think nursing advocates are more prone to using a class-based oh-no-we're-not-like-the-mere-occupations-and-trades approach because it's a much faster way. Convincing people you belong in advantaged category A and so should be treated better is easier than convincing people that everyone in disadvantaged category B deserves more respect and actually the distinction between A and B isn't very meaningful.
I really wish they'd come out and say it, too (that the history of nursing parallels the history of women). Yet another fight that I am too tired to embark on . . . I settle for going on about it in class.
You have a point that its easier to convince people that they're special than it is to convince them that everyone should be treated well. The second concept is harder to grasp and plays less well into self interest.
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I think nursing advocates are more prone to using a class-based oh-no-we're-not-like-the-mere-occupations-and-trades approach because it's a much faster way. Convincing people you belong in advantaged category A and so should be treated better is easier than convincing people that everyone in disadvantaged category B deserves more respect and actually the distinction between A and B isn't very meaningful.
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You have a point that its easier to convince people that they're special than it is to convince them that everyone should be treated well. The second concept is harder to grasp and plays less well into self interest.
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