Cities and towns; Social psychology; Sociology; Sociology, Urban
The effects of the division of labor as a discipline, i.e., as means of
molding character, may therefore be best studied in the vocational types
it has produced. Among the types which it would be interesting to study
are: the shopgirl, the policeman, the peddler, the cabman, the
nightwatchman, the clairvoyant, the vaudeville performer, the quack
doctor, the bartender, the ward boss, the strike-breaker, the labor
agitator, the school teacher, the reporter, the stockbroker, the
pawnbroker; all of these are characteristic products of the conditions
of city life; each, with its special experience, insight, and point of
view determines for each vocational group and for the city as a whole
its individuality.
To what extent is the grade of intelligence represented in the
different trades and professions dependent upon natural ability?
To what extent is intelligence determined by the character of the
occupation and the conditions under which it is practiced?
To what extent is success in the occupations dependent upon sound
judgment and common sense; to what extent upon technical ability?
Does native ability or special training determine success in the
different vocations?
What prestige and what prejudices attach to different trades and
professions and why?
Is the choice of the occupation determined by temperamental, by
economic, or by sentimental considerations?
In what occupations do men, in what occupations do women, succeed
better, and why?
How far is occupation, rather than association, responsible for the
mental attitude and moral predilections? Do men in the same profession
or trade, but representing different nationalities and different
cultural groups, hold characteristic and identical opinions?
To what extent is the social or political creed, that is, socialism,
anarchism, syndicalism, etc., determined by occupation? by
temperament?
To what extent have social doctrine and social idealism superseded and
taken the place of religious faith in the different occupations, and
why?
Do social classes tend to assume the character of cultural groups?
That is to say, do the classes tend to acquire the exclusiveness and
independence of a caste or nationality; or is each class always
dependent upon the existence of a corresponding class?
To what extent do children follow the vocations of their parents and
why?
To what extent do individuals move from one class to another, and how
does this fact modify the character of class relationships?
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