are blue collar jobs looked down upon in the U.S?

Question

i live in australia and from tv shows etc i get the distinct impression that trades are looked down upon as a career choice, just wondering if this is true or a media misrepresentation??
in oz it has been a little looked down upon in the last 20 yrs but mainly in bigger cities.
the govt. used to push uni/college as the preferred option but its starting to turn around because of the short fall of tradespeople, now people qualified with a tradecert are able to earn 140k here as oppposed to school teachers and accountants etc who are earning 65k, is this also starting to happen in the u.s, canada and u.k.?

Answer 1

I have to admit that Blue Collar workers are the "middle class" in society in the U.S. White Collar professionals are esteemed solely on artificial merit: They do not have a name badge on their work clothes, and probably got through an undergraduate bachelors degree program at one of our dumbed-down institutions.
You are correct, too, in that a tradesman can earn more money at his skill than a professional. This is generally shown in TV programs, but in a left-handed, complimentary fashion. The man with oil or paint under his nails will buy a $94,000 boat, but to catch bass and not cruise the rivers. His house may need painting, or the yard may have two cars on cinder blocks, but the kitchen boasts the finest stainless restaurant grade refrigerators, six burner ranges, and infrared, touch-free water delivery systems. 60" flat screen TVs with the finest surround sound grace the wall near the black velvet painting of Elvis Presley.
They have earned their gracious living style, and I generally prefer their more Earthy speech and true humility to many starched collars. I like watching tradesmen work because I always ask questions and they are glad to answer. I gain, too, in maybe not needing to call them for the next problem. So, while the trade school student may be seen as a black sheep in the Ivy League flock, he will be the one who stops to help when your car is disabled on the road.
It was the rise of the tradesmen and the guilds which ended feudalism, but it is still the knight on a white horse that is glorified in the U.S.

Answer 2

Hollywood isn't very good at portraying blue collar
life, and yes, Americans can be very classist
or elitist.

That being said, we have our blue collar heroes too.
I'm not sure if you'd call the position of fireman "blue collar"
but it is certainly considered a heroic and self sacraficing
job ever since 9/11.

The vast majority of property you see in television
drama, for instance, would cost in the millions, whereas
most property owners actually own houses that cost
under half a million, and of course the country is
filled with people that cannot afford to buy property
(vs. those who don't want to because they don't want
be be landlords).

Its more fun to show the the rich people are doing.

Consider all the possibilities for drama with a lawyer
or a doctor that a janitor just doesn't get.

Answer 3

To a degree I'd say yes it's true. But it's the blue collar jobs that keep the countries running. I am seeing the governments' push for the higher educations/degrees nowadays. But if you have a trade, you'll work for life or as long as you want to, since technology and the other similar careers are in a constant state of change.

Answer 4

Only until you need a plumber at 3:00 AM to fix a busted water heater that's flooding your home.

Most Americans are aware that skilled tradesmen make a very good income. It takes about the same amount of time, blood, sweat and scat-work to become a master plumber as it does to become a physician. The plumber probably has the last laugh as his education loan balance will be nil while the physician's will be equal to the national debt of a small to medium sized Third World nation.

Answer 5

White collared workers look down on everybody

Answer 6

Yes and blue collar wokers look down on white collar pansies