Careers--prestige, satisfaction, and depression

A typical trait of human society is a division of labor. In fact, this is one of the defining characteristics of a civilization, namely, that there are specialized workers. The less pleasant the task or the less capable I may be in performing it, the more likely I am to hire someone to do it for me. Thus each society places a value on jobs or skills; usually, those professions which require the most training and most specialization are the ones that make the most money. In ancient India, the caste system placed priests ahead of the military and government, who in turn were superior to the merchants and traders, who ranked higher than the sudras or laborers. Underlying it all, cleaning the manure off the streets and burying the dead—doing the unpleasant tasks that no one else wanted—were the untouchables. In China, where Confucianism prevailed, those scholars who could pass the rigorous civil service examination became government bureaucrats. The least favored job in the “middle kingdom” was that of businessman, merchant, or peddler; surprisingly, even clowns and other entertainers were esteemed more highly than those involved in trade.

This report, found in USA today, reported that in America, the most prestigious jobs included scientist, doctor, and teacher. Very low in prestige were stockbrokers and real estate agents. Another way of looking at different jobs is to compare job satisfaction. This is a survey which reported that the people most satisfied in their work are those in the jobs which involve teaching, caring for, and protecting others. So although ministers may only have “prestige” among 32% of Americans, they report a satisfaction rate of 87%.

This weekend, a study was released that looked at job satisfaction from the other extreme, namely, those jobs that carry the highest incidence of depression. Some noteworthy results are that those who care for the elderly and who prepare and serve food in restaurants also show the highest rate of depression. There is at least one correlation between the two studies. Fast food workers report very low job satisfaction and very high rates of depression.

I would like you to review these three articles and hypothesize as to their meaning. I have my own theories but I will offer them later in the discussion. Is there a connection between prestige and job satisfaction? Why are many people dissatisfied with their jobs, even to the point of depression? What do the most satisfying jobs have in common, and what do the most depressing ones?

And, of course, as you consider the big, bright future ahead of you, is this information valuable to you, or is it enough to know where the most money is to be made?