"He is very professional"
I know this is generally meant as a compliment, but I hate hearing it. I know why people say it, but this is (to me) one of the strongest criticisms a person can levy against another. Implied in this statement is a faith in management techniques and established, systematized hierarchies. Whenever anyone refers to me as "professional", I feel slighted, as if I have officially become a cog in the machine, part of a world where bureaucratic behavior, outward appearances, and disingenuous collegiality are privileged over independent thought.
OK, so maybe I'm overreacting. I know what the word "professional" means, and I realize I'm inferring an awful lot here. Most people hold professionalism in high esteem. This is part of the problem. As it is widely assumed to be obviously and indisputably good for society, we may feel hard-pressed to conceive of its alternative. Amateurs? What could they possibly accomplish? Get me a professional! When we distinguish between professionals and amateurs, we draw a line between those "in the know" (i.e. those who adhere to the prevailing paradigm and obey its prescribed rules) and ousiders. The problem is that professionals can become so immersed in a "profession" that they have difficulty challenging or even identifying the tacit assumptions associated within its framework. This doesn't leave much room for creativity or intellectual curiosity. It's not professional to question authority. It's not professional to critically examine beliefs, or to criticize others in your profession (no matter how useless and misguided they are). It's not professional for reporters to editorialize, even though we all know they have a fucking opinion! To be professional, one must suppress certain human qualities - feelings, subjective opinions, and emotions - in the name of conformity and subjugation. In fact, medical/nursing schools often debate (in published articles, no less) whether doctors/nurses ought to be "professional or human" - as if the two were mutually exclusive.
So...to be a professional is to declare a belief in and obey the rules of a particular paradigm, and there's nothing wrong with that...if you prefer to live in a world of networks rather than communities.
Personally, I choose to remain on the fringe with my gloriously amateurish brethren.
OK, so maybe I'm overreacting. I know what the word "professional" means, and I realize I'm inferring an awful lot here. Most people hold professionalism in high esteem. This is part of the problem. As it is widely assumed to be obviously and indisputably good for society, we may feel hard-pressed to conceive of its alternative. Amateurs? What could they possibly accomplish? Get me a professional! When we distinguish between professionals and amateurs, we draw a line between those "in the know" (i.e. those who adhere to the prevailing paradigm and obey its prescribed rules) and ousiders. The problem is that professionals can become so immersed in a "profession" that they have difficulty challenging or even identifying the tacit assumptions associated within its framework. This doesn't leave much room for creativity or intellectual curiosity. It's not professional to question authority. It's not professional to critically examine beliefs, or to criticize others in your profession (no matter how useless and misguided they are). It's not professional for reporters to editorialize, even though we all know they have a fucking opinion! To be professional, one must suppress certain human qualities - feelings, subjective opinions, and emotions - in the name of conformity and subjugation. In fact, medical/nursing schools often debate (in published articles, no less) whether doctors/nurses ought to be "professional or human" - as if the two were mutually exclusive.
So...to be a professional is to declare a belief in and obey the rules of a particular paradigm, and there's nothing wrong with that...if you prefer to live in a world of networks rather than communities.
Personally, I choose to remain on the fringe with my gloriously amateurish brethren.
posted by Pj at 1:07 PM
2 Comments:
you pick the oddest things to rant about. i actually agree with most of this, even if sometimes I think you're just being argumentative for its own sake.
I was written up left and right about my "unprofessionalism" it sucked and almost drove me out of teaching. I finally got a compliment like you and it has been 3 years....it felt good to feel like a good teacher again!!!!!!
Post a Comment
<< Home