Is your job your social identity?

What do you do?, what do you work as? as such is a common asking when we would

like to know more about a person. No matter what sort of job that you are in, a job

designation is definitely assigned to you in order to perform the job accordingly, even a

designation like housewife. A classic example would be when a name card is presented;

a work title is often included. In this essay, I shall examine how a job position represents

a social status of oneself.

According to R. M. Blackburn & Michael Mann (1979), the issues of work often involve

an understanding of:

- where the jobs are; geographical division of labour

- who does the job; in the social division of labour and the sexual division of labour

- what sort of job; the technical division of labour

- How many jobs there are

- How the demand for employment by those seeking remuneration matches the

demand by employers for employees.

The emphasis of the study shall be on the social division of labour- How does different

occupation represents different social status?

The selection of work

To begin with a simplistic starting point. We are offered choices in selecting an

occupation in the society, an indeed wide range of choices no matter whether it is

1
permanent, part-time, on contract or self-employed. People can engaged in employment

they have to, because they feel obliged to or because they want to work for money, they

work out of a sense of duty or they do it for fun or for self-expression. Here, I shall

narrow down the scope of the research to the modern societies, (which all of us are living

in) both post-industrial economies and developing societies. In another word, those

choices which made due to starvation, wide disparity in the society (or more directly- the

Third World countries), are excluded.

The society that I suggest here shall has a high degree of self-containment as a labour

market, so that we could study the entire range of choice available to the worker in it; low

level of unemployment, so that choice was not merely a question of working in any job

or remaining unemployed; a high degree of employment varieties so that meaningful

choices would be possible; for instance, the metropolitan city such as Kuala Lumpur.

In which, we are able to observe a phenomenon that certain courses in the tertiary

institution are exclusively appealing and popular, few examples are engineering course,

commerce study, doctorial, and law, etc. These courses, in turn, train and prepare the

masses to the future working domains accordingly. The linear relationship between

education and occupation that I suggest here, thus, inevitably attract critiques from those

who breakthrough the one-dimensional equation. However, does the society encourages a

stratification among occupations, or, is man the sole maker of all this? Does the labour

market objectively allow the worker a significant measure of choice over his economic

life? Does he subjectively perceive it as a choice?

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The labour market has been institutionalised into a tendency towards capitalist society, a

tension between those who own the production and those who work for the production.

From a macro level, there is stratification of labour forces. Those who own the

production are businessman in direct sense, in which, professionals are empowered in

this particular mode as it provides knowledge, services and contribution to the welfare of

their private interest; Blue collar level- the working class shall be the salesperson,

technician, secretarial worker, nurse, labourer, housewife, etc; whose work is dealing

with sameness, routine, and dullness; as well as the structuralist approach that I draw

revokes the ambiguous part of it- work that involves art: music, film, writer, painting, etc;

the creativity. Certainly, there is interesting element at varying degrees ingrained in

every kinds of work. However, this research is investigating from a bird view-the macro,

majority point of view, therefore, the micro perspective which the minor exception or of

small degree shall be disregarded.

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Methodologies

The fundamental methodology being employed is the interview- a qualitative approach.

Related to the French term entrevue, it means to see one another or meet. (Berger,

Arthur Asa, 2000:111) According to Berger, problems will be encountered in all form of

research such as people do not always tell the truth, they will lie; people sometimes tell

you what they think you want to hear; people use language differently; people wont

know what they think and will give you some answers to get rid of you. (Berger, Arthur

Asa, 1991:10)

In order to obtain the result with higher accuracy and truth, here, informal interviews are

carried out to the sampler. As Berger notes, there is few controls in these interviews, they

just take place, are not organised or focused, and are generally used to introduce

researchers to those being studied. (Berger, Arthur Asa, 2000:112) The casual quality and

free flow conversation are being maintained, in simpler explanation- a subtle way of

interview which the informants (the interviewee or someone has information of interest

on the subject) do not aware of the formality and academic of the interview, in turn, tend

to tell out what they really think about the subject of matter.

Sampler are being chosen randomly, nevertheless, to the extent that it covers different

races (Chinese, Indian and Malay); age level (below 18, 18-25, and above 25); social

class (upper-middle, middle class and lower); and gender group (male and female). The

4
setting of interviews, as I mentioned above, is taking place randomly; on the way going

to college, coffee break, friends gathering, etc.

Along with the interviews, statistics from governmental resource (educational institution)

act as supplement validation in assisting the hypothesis such as comparison of numbers

of highly-demand courses offered(doctorial, engineering, IT, law and commerce) with

the others (arts, mass communication, music, etc). The choices that being offered in the

society have a comprehensive reflection on how certain occupations are in high-demand

and taken account in the class formation. (See appendix)

5
Findings

Sampler:

1.) Beatrice Wong, 21, female, college student, Chinese.

2.) Andrew Seah, 25, male, civil engineer, Chinese

3.) Chin Wee Hong, 26, male, chemical engineer, Chinese

4.) Chong See Ming, 24, female, customer service officer, Chinese

5.) Shawna Felicia Lawrence Xavier, 20, female, college student, Indian

6.) Loh Chen Siong, 18, male, secondary school student, Chinese

7.) Sheella, 30, female, sales assistant, Malay

8.) Katherine, 26, female, marketing and communication trainee, German

9.) Cheryl, 24, female, air-stewardess, Australian

Cases:

1.) Beatrice

On the way going to college, we talked about why would she has chosen the course mass

communication and become a Public Relation Officer in future.

engineering and accounting are too boring, I like something creative and something I

can manage, but provided I can get a job and get paid besides, become a PR is sort of

interesting job which you get to meet different kind of people in the working field

When being asked whether her parents would have any objection on her choice, she

reckons:

6
my father has a master title in IT engineering from Harvard University and my mother

is a teacher in secondary schoolof course they were first sort of not very satisfied with

my choice as they think mass comm. and media studies are not proper education, its only

for those who are immature, wilful and bimbo kind of peoplethey still prefer if I

would be teacher, engineer or even doctor, thats what they want my brother to be,

especially he is the son in the family

2.) Andrew, See Ming, and Wee Hong

During a coffee break in Starbucks, we talked about their recent working experiences.

Andrew has just joined the double-track project in Malaysia; he is really exited about it as

it is a major railway project in the country. He said:

when people know that youre handling such a major project, they are kind of give

you a special look as if youre somebody, I feel respected more When talking about

future prospect, Andrew has his own plan in mind:

further my master course and get a professor title as soon as possibleif you want to

take part in politics, a title professor is important, such as doctor Dr. Mahathir

While at the same time, Wee Hong has another point of view:

..after had successfully applied PR in Australia, Ill be going to Australia the next year

and learn up oil painting to become a real artistprobably when you guys come over to

Adelaide, will get to see me selling painting on the street When being asked about his

current occupation as a chemical engineer, he slowly tells:

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I cant straight away break the frame, the rule of the game! my family can accept

though, I cant bring myself to just do it the way I want as so many years in school,

you know that you will just further study and become what the society needs you to

becomeafter two years working, however, I am able to choose again because no one

will say youre escaping the reality, or that youre a failuremoreover, I may fail to

become an artist though, still I have my degree in engineering to fall back on, its not

difficult to come back again

Compare with two guys, See Ming is sort of quite in the conversation.

I have just resigned from the insurance company as a consultantnow working as a

customer service officer in Jobstreet.com. When being enquired about why had chosen a

lower status of job, she said it directly: it doesnt matter to me as long as they pay me

higher!

3.) Shawna

During Deepavali, we were watching it a movie Divas together. We are discussing

about the typical Indian movie always have a main character who is either a doctor or

lawyer, who gets the education from overseas. She commented:

Indian still have a very strong mind in caste system, especially with regard to job,

being a doctor, lawyer is sort of high-class, superior and empowerment.

4.) Chen Siong

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Going to graduate soon after SPM, he is at the junction of life and has not made up the

mind on his career prospect.

I dont know what I can do, further study and become those accountants, engineer,

are just too far from me, I dont want to waste the money either I want to become a

hairstylist and then open up my own salon, but I dont know whether my parents will

allow my brother and sisters are doing overseas degree

5.) Sheella

Working as a sales assistance in SaSa, cosmetic shop in KLCC for more than 10 years,

she is a mother of three kids.

Im not much educated, only after SPM I started working, anyway it is a satisfactory

job and I have time to take care of my children. Besides, my husband is a businessman;

he can afford and support the familybut certainly I will hope my children can become a

doctor, engineer or businessman like my husband, can earn more money

6.) Katherine

Doing internship from German, Katherine is working in a marketing firm in Kuala

Lumpur. She is writing for the last essay of her master course. When being questioned

about the working environment in German, she says:

professionals are in high-demand, so its very common to see graduates, post-

graduates or even professoras long as youre specialised in a particular area...

7.) Cheryl

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After one-and a half year working in an international telemarketing firm, she resigned

and applied for the position as an air-stewardess in Emirates (a UAE-based airline).

its sort of letdown in my lifeits always been my ambition to become a career

women

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Discussion

Man is homo Faber, the productive species.

-Norman, 1984:8

For many people, work is the main basis of their social life, and also of their sense of

identity and status. No doubt it is possible to live a fulfilling life without a job; however,

those who succeed in doing so constitute only a minority.

Work is a need which arises out of the most basic material conditions of modern society,

and which cannot be altered by the methods of indoctrination alone. Marx: 739

Work requires activity. In the modern world at least, people have a need to be active.

Moreover, work not only demands activity, in the form of work, at least, it imposes a

time structure on the waking day. Secondly, work is a productive activity. It is essentially

the exercise of these powers towards useful ends. The product is a use value. (Sean

Sayers, 1987)

Validated by all the interviewees, no one has denied the need of work in order to survive

in the society. Marx never failed to stress that in present conditions most forms of work is

mere toil and mankind has a natural and inherent aversion of it. However, given the

necessary conditions, labour can be a liberating activity; it can become attractive work,

the individuals self-realisation. As we can see in Andrews case, he takes his education

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and work experience as a form of competency, to move forward to be a politician- a top

of minority. Just as Marx describe the pyramid hierarchy structure of the society:

The exercise of our powers to shape from the objective world and appropriate it to our

needs in itself a satisfaction and a need. -Marx: 726

In Marxs words, mans essential activity (and woman too) is, potentially at least, the

main avenue to human self-development and fulfilment. Beyond that, working people

have also struggled for a decent portion of leisure as equally as a human need. (Sean

Sayers, 1987) Work nowadays most exclusively refers to activities carried out for a

wage. It is an imposition, a hetero-determined, heteronomous activity, perceived by most

of those either have it or are looking for it as a nondescript sale of time. One has a

god or bad job according to how much one earns, and secondly, according to the nature

of the task and its purpose. As we can see from See Mings case, she defines the job

according to the remuneration rather in the order of social status, the opposition with

Andrew whose contribution to the society is honoured.

The difference between wage labour and self-determined activity is the same as the

difference between use-value and exchange-value. (Andre Gory, 1980) According to

Sally Alexander, use-value refers to something value what the thing actually can be used

for, whereas exchange-value means value something that can be sold in the market, the

markets price. (Willis1991:86) Working for a wage amounts to working in order to

12
purchase as much time from society as a whole as it has previously received. Thus, the

more autonomous on the job you have, the freer of time you acquire.

In this case, businessmen is agreed to have the most power over the production. For

example in Shellas case, her husband has owned production and the family consume it

to satisfy their basic needs in the society. Self-determined, on the other hand, is not

principally concerned with the exchange of quantities of time. It is its own end, of one of

production, which concerned with the creation of objects destined not for sale, but to be

consumed or used by the producers themselves or by their relatives or friends. (Andre

Gory, 1980) For instance in Wee Hongs case, he satisfied with the creation of art.

As William Rondo & Lisa Pattie (1983) note, the theme of work as a source of self-

respect and meaning is a result of several major social trends: the increasing educational

level of most workers, the growing proportion of younger workers, and more general

attitude shifts among many workers of all ages. They expect more of work as an

experience, not only as a source of economic sustenance. Increasing manifest a concern

for work as a source of self-respect and non-material reward- challenge, growth, personal

fulfilment, interesting and meaningful work, the opportunity to advance and to

accumulate and the chance to lead a safe, wealthy life.

We can observe this from the case of Chen Siong. Besides, division of labour are

changing, then, at a global, national and individual level and such change produces new

perceptions of and attitudes to work. Although women are more liberated in the working

13
sphere, as we can observe from Beatrices family value, there is still a tendency of social

expectation toward male domination.

Both the sexual division of labour and male domination are so long standing

-H. Hartmann, capitalism, Patriarchy, and job segregation by sex

However, there is an underlying principle in leading the values of each in the sphere of

job selection. As we can see from Wee Hongs case, he still agreed that having a proper

occupation like engineer could be a safeguard in order to survive in the society. Besides,

Cheryl has also first determined to be a career woman rather than air-stewardess; Sheella

wants her children to be as those prosperous occupationists rather a sale assistant like

herself; Chen Siong also has the inclination towards the owner of production. Here we

can relate it to Bourdieus theory of social distinction.

Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier.

-Bourdieu: 6

Bourdieu proposes that cultural preferences have a social foundation which shapes our

thinking, value and taste; and the expression of taste systematically linked to social

class. Therefore, what sorts of job we are involved determine our social status. He further

notes that the cultural capital which refers to a set of skills that distinguish those who

possess them from those who do not (Tonny, Emmison and John Frow, 1999:10); is a

learned process something that we can acquire, and earn it from thehabitus- the social

14
environment. Supported by the modern social environment, we are often taught to

conduct an occupation which brings income to oneself and welfares to the society. For

example in Shawnas case and Beatrices, clearly shows that how certain occupation is

perceived as empowerment with social status and these can be obtained through the

fundamentally- education. In related to this, professionalization and specialisation are

highlighted in society today. (George Ritzer, 1998:68) See also Katherines example.

15