Blue Collar Work

As the rise of enrollment into university by the general population in the United States increases, there is still a need for blue-collar work. The stigma today that follows blue-collar work is a major prejudice held by intellectuals within the educational system. Intelligence is often only accredited to those who attend university and receive a degree, but this is not the case. There are different types of intelligence such as career oriented or technical intelligence and academic intelligence. Career or technical intelligence can be learned through apprenticeship, learned behavior, or trade school. On the other hand, those who further their education and receive a four-year degree are seen academically intelligent. In his essay, “Blue Collar
In a thirty-three year career, Joe moved up the assembly line to being the supervisor of the paint-and-body department. Again, Rose provides us with a typical blue-collar job and illustrates how mentally demanding his uncle’s work is. He touched on how his uncle trained his body to work efficiently and preserve energy. Rose also emphasized how “Still, for Joe, the shop floor provided what school did not; it was like schooling, he said, a place where you’re constantly learning” (45). His uncle did not need school because on the job he was able to learn how to face new problems, speak publically, budget management, and even devising a new nozzle on a paint sprayer. He learned what he needed in the field and did not have to spend time in the classroom. He was faced with problems and expected to solve them regardless of his education. This type of hands on experience could not have been taught, but could only be learned by seeing real world problems first hand and working with others to solve them. In the case of redesigning a more efficient and safe paint nozzle, Joe knew there was a problem and he used the skills he has acquired over his thirty-three career to change the way things were done. His knowledge on how the department is run is more extensive than someone with a degree. Rose fortifies his position by indulging the audience
This is important to his case because he is not just talking about math and precision, but he makes a point to talk about sensory knowledge too. He explains this when he says, “hair stylists are attuned to shape, texture, and motion. Sensory data merge with concept, as when auto mechanic relies on sound, vibration, and even smell to understand what cannot be observed” (47). His description of the hair stylist and mechanic reveals that Rose is looking at all different types of intelligence. These are hands on experiences that the hair stylist and mechanics could not learn from a book, but could only learn from the touch of the hair or the motor. These specific jobs add significant reinforcement to his position by showing his audience that he is taking the senses and skills that can really only be taught in a hands on environment into