tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post6650787672652824747..comments2024-03-29T03:19:09.227-04:00Comments on The Philosopher's Stone: CLASS DISTINCTIONSRobert Paul Wolffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-9352612084700157862016-12-16T19:15:05.560-05:002016-12-16T19:15:05.560-05:00I went to a fairly old fashioned British private s...I went to a fairly old fashioned British private school, where this practice had a definite class function.<br /><br />Teachers were referred to as TITLE SURNAME, and addressed either in the same manner or simply as "sir" or "miss" (the latter regardless of marital status). <br /><br />Porters and groundskeepers were addressed and referred to by first names only, often shortened forms: Terry, Steve, etc. These were permanent employees, male, white, working class.<br /><br />Cleaners (female, often migrants, subcontracted) were generically referred to as "the cleaner", and only addressed for the purpose of giving instructions (" could you come back a bit later...). No titles or names were used, since we didn't know them, and didn't bother to ask.<br /><br />Younger or more progressive members of staff addressed the boys by their first names, old or more conservative types used last names only.<br /><br />So one ends up with interactions like: "Jones!" "Yes Dr Smith?" "Run and ask Terry if there is a spare set of keeper's gloves in the store..."<br /><br />ABnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-30872799030763628862016-12-16T09:29:50.338-05:002016-12-16T09:29:50.338-05:00I've noticed that in my local supermarket, the...I've noticed that in my local supermarket, the check-out people are identified by first names only, but at the pharmacy the pharmacists' name tags have their full names and degrees. My recollection of emergency rooms, however, is that everyone is identified by full name and degrees or position.<br /><br />I never thought of it before, but when I was a kid I always called the barber by his first name (Amos) and not his not Mr. Novak, although I knew his full name from his barber's license which was hanging on the wall. I was never told to do otherwise, and I don't think the other kids were either. The family physician, however, and the dentist, even the dog's veterinarian were "Doctor" so and so.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01601151117159492920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-67943739596564748252016-12-16T09:01:35.690-05:002016-12-16T09:01:35.690-05:00I'm also a long-time hospital employee, and my...I'm also a long-time hospital employee, and my first reaction was Diogenes's, perhaps even that the employees had requested anonymity to avoid being called up by amorous patients. But when I said that to my wife, a career nurse and nurse exec, she asked your question, Bob. Hmm, maybe nobody wants to hit on a doctor? The email you got was from the "Quality Assurance" Dept. and the survey was probably from a national outfit called Press-Ganey. Hospitals generally take them pretty seriously, partly because the Joint Committee on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations will ask for them as well as for the follow-up actions. [It dates back to the 1980s and the attention that an American engineer named Deming got from teaching Toyota to build way better cars than the Americans.] So my guess is that you will receive a reply, but that it may take a while as your comment wends its way through the bureaucracy in search of either a definitive reason or a change in policy. Count on a month or so. In any case, I'm sure you're right that there's a deep-seated class bias at work here too.Tom Cathcarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16136970056480275148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-52488417925362317472016-12-16T05:12:48.529-05:002016-12-16T05:12:48.529-05:00Interesting. Why then divulge the complete names ...Interesting. Why then divulge the complete names of the doctors?Robert Paul Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-15271327554227534162016-12-16T01:17:16.387-05:002016-12-16T01:17:16.387-05:00I have worked in hospitals, in several different r...I have worked in hospitals, in several different roles, for over a decade, and always assumed it was for privacy reasons. Indeed, during orientation at my first hospital, we were specifically told not to divulge our last names to patients (or other personal details) as this was deemed unprofessional.<br /><br />I'm sure there's something to your class-based account as well, though, Professor.TheDudeDiogeneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11613928663752680375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-44245259189313338242016-12-15T15:40:22.775-05:002016-12-15T15:40:22.775-05:00I plan to blog about it to,orrow. It is beyond un...I plan to blog about it to,orrow. It is beyond unbelievable.Robert Paul Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-20241978871268790182016-12-15T14:28:19.550-05:002016-12-15T14:28:19.550-05:00Not on topic (sorry), but as I'm sure you'...Not on topic (sorry), but as I'm sure you're aware, the Republicans in your state are staging a coup. This is unbelievable. Paul Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09548174144965259259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-73794217124600134982016-12-15T13:37:29.111-05:002016-12-15T13:37:29.111-05:00This had never occurred to me, but I suddenly sens...This had never occurred to me, but I suddenly sense that it is very common. In my pre-school, all the "teachers" (in quotes because they were not normally accredited) were known as [Ms. FIRST NAME]. Once we hit kindergarten, it was the standard [Ms. LAST NAME]. (Or "Mr." -- male teachers are/were rare at the elementary school level.) If nothing else, this shows the subtle infantilization of the practice. Ed Barrerashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245166137503830356noreply@blogger.com