DECember 2009 issue
|
|
THE GEO BEAT
Are Geoscientists Snobs —
Professionally Speaking?
BY TOM SNEDDON, P.GEOL.
APEGGA Manager, Geoscience Affairs
At a friend’s birthday party, recently, he and I were the only geoscientists in attendance. Naturally enough, our
conversation drifted towards famous rock formations we had known.
My friend was a geochronologist before retiring. The other guests were biologists, a librarian and an academic.
At some point in the evening, one of the group dropped a slightly edgy comment about professional geologists being elitist. I was less offended than startled, because I hadn’t thought about that before. Besides, look at the pedigree of the rest of the guests!
On the way home, the comment came back and I started to think about the ramifications of being an elitist in an open, egalitarian society. Is it wrong to be a member of an elite? What constitutes an elite? Are geos really an elite?
My trusty online dictionary came up with a couple of definitions to help direct my thinking on this matter. I learned that an elite is a group of people regarded as the best in a particular society or organization.
We elitists are also a size of letter in typewriting, with 12 characters to the inch (about 4.7 to the centimetre). Somehow, the definition didn’t seem quite as relevant, unless you’re also a scribe.
Elitism, meanwhile, is the belief that a society or system should be run by an elite. It’s also the superior attitude or behaviour associated with an elite.
Nothing is pejorative in the definition about being amongst a group of people regarded as the best. And jamming 12 characters into an inch of PEGG space is clearly a Good Thing.
The elitism definition however, sounds distinctly undemocratic. Should only the best group of people in a society or society at large be allowed to run that system or society? Are elites permissible in a democracy?
More research revealed that both APEGGA and the technical societies I belong to are run by colleagues that have impressive pedigrees, all of which had been earned by hard work and enterprise. There were no silver-spoon-in-mouth, born-into-greatness people. No layabouts in those groups. Furthermore, they were elected to those positions by the great body of the professions.
Do they have a superior attitude, then?
Yet more research at luncheons and festive season receptions suggest the reverse. Most of the supposedly elite are modest, eminently approachable and (I add parenthetically) quite humble about their accomplishments.
Rule 5 of our Code of Ethics obliges all of us to “uphold and enhance the honour, dignity and reputation of their professions and thus the ability of the professions to serve the public interest.” Clearly, while the members of APEGGA are an elite sector of society, none of them adhere to the tenets of elitism.
Our professions are really hard to get into and it takes plenty of effort, vigilance and self-knowledge to remain in good standing. My friend at the party was mistaken in the belief that I and my professional colleagues are elitist, even if we form part of an elite group.
Furthermore, society at large demands that we sustain high standards of entry and behaviour. For instance, I haven’t been receiving delegations of financial institution representatives demanding we lower our qualifications. There cannot be anything wrong with being a member of an elite professional society. Not guilty as charged.
The issue of members of an elite group running the country was still unresolved and demanded more research.
There are a number of principles held by Canadian society that are axiomatic. The first being that all citizens are equal before the law. Unlike the protagonists in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, no group is more equal than any other.
The Donnybrooks that occur daily in the question periods of the House of Commons and provincial legislature ensure that shouldn’t happen. But wait! Two-thirds of the federal cabinet admit to holding university degrees, including one former engineer (the Hon. Steven Fletcher, no longer practicing).
A weak correlation there, since about one in 10 Canadians hold a university degree, but as far as the technical professions are concerned, we just don’t cut it as practicing elitists. Not guilty. Maybe too not guilty — there should be a couple more engineers and geoscientists helping run the country at the political level. That concept is also worth more research and thought.
I’m sure there are arrogant people in our professions, but I haven’t met any lately. Similarly, there are bound to be elitists, but I haven’t met any of them, either.
We behave as most good Canadians do and quietly do our thing to the best of our abilities, with little noise and bluster. Make no mistake about being part of an elite, though — like it or not, we are.
We just don’t make a fuss about it. The public likes that about us too, I think.
The only time we step forward is one day in April when our best and most accomplished members are recognized through the APEGGA Summit Awards. There is nothing elitist about those awards — they are simply a celebration of excellence.
Do you know anyone who has quietly achieved an exceptional goal APEGGA should honour? By all means, let me know.
 |
ELITISTS AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN |