Quote:
Originally Posted by PsYcNeT
There's obviously a huge disparity even among the various levels of blue-collar work. Even on the average jobsite, you're likely going to have a different conversation with a tin basher than an electrician.
|
This is exactly it. No one was saying that their aren't people who would be considered "lower class" on a construction site. We've all met the classic Canadian "hoser" who does menial labour jobs. And it's true you don't find many of these guys spewing racism or bragging about hookers in their strong Canadian accents in the average office environment. Part of what makes Dean and Terry from FUBAR funny is that we've all met guys who are very similar to them.
Also, Many tradesmen don't work on construction sites. At any site you're going to see a combination of skilled labour and unskilled labour. The unskilled labour is less likely to have solid education, come from a nurturing environment, or be good at pursuing their goals. That's a big part of why they are stuck in labour jobs.
The point is that it's now probably easier to live an upper middle class lifestyle in the trades than with a degree. Many of the people who do trades are also far more intelligent and skilled than the average paper pusher. Plus many have to learn to run their own businesses, which requires a skill set in its own. No one is saying that all labourers on construction sites are middle class or higher.
I guess could make the argument that tradespeople get more exposure and are more likely to work with "lower class" people. However, lawyers, doctors, social workers, teachers, etc.. also deal with people from all walks of life in their daily routine.