Society’s Favor for Mental Labor :: Scientific Sciences Labor Work Essays

Society’s Favor for Mental Labor A claim is a statement made to influence others to accept a certain point of view. In her essay "Science, Facts, and Feminism," Ruth Hubbard presents various claims criticizing the way scientific epistemology works as a separate, exclusive entity. Hubbard’s claims suggest that the way society perceives and values science ought to be reevaluated. I agree strongly with two of her claims. One of these claims states that "this society values mental labor more highly than manual labor" (121). This claim is fairly straightforward in meaning; it says that the Western culture places a higher priority on mental labor than manual labor. In the Western culture, positions which require completion of stringent educational requirements rank higher in status, both in terms of respect and monetary rewards, than those which require physical work. In America people working in mental occupations are often paid higher salaries than those working in manual positions. The number of letters following one’s name that indicate educational achievement often dictates the amount of respect he or she receives. People sometimes look down upon jobs requiring intense physical labor. The people who see mental labor as superior sometimes cite the fact that anyone could work outside all day in the sun, but it takes an educated professional to work in a laboratory. This outlook exemplifies the value society places on mental work. While I agree with Hubbard’s claim, it is a bit naà ¯ve in assuming that every occupation is either all manual or mental. While most jobs are viewed by society as wholly manual or mental occupations, manual occupations cross over into mental occupations (and vice versa) every day. Farmers, for instance, must have knowledge in the areas of business, biology, and mathematics, to name a few, in order to run a profitable operation. However, most farmers, thought of as "manual" workers, do not attain the same respect as a business person or scientist, "mental" workers. My personal experiences have demonstrated to me the truth in Hubbard’s claim that society places a higher value on mental work than manual work. I have lived on a farm my entire life, so I feel I am acutely aware of society’s devaluation of manual labor. While most farmers work hours that would breach those of almost any "day job," they are still, on average, paid far less than, for example, an engineer that has set weekday hours and rare weekend work.