Borg 1
- the first people to own automobiles were wealthy
- saw automobiles as a replacement for a horse and carriage
- early automobiles frequently had to be fixed during a
trip
- result is chauffeur-mechanics
- but it didn't work to treat chauffeur-mechanics like
coachmen
- because they had specialized knowledge
what is a profession?
- specialized knowledge
- self-employed (owned their own practice),
therefore have control over their own work
- some kind of certification that you have the
knowledge and skills
- responsibility to clients or the public good
(above making the most money)
behind that is discomfort over the power of someone
with specialized knowledge
- how much status does specialized knowledge give you?
- what about the low status person with specialized
knowledge?
- that person has the opportunity to insist on being
treated better
- wealthy people can't be as snobbish as they would like to
be
before the automobile wealthy families employed a coachman who
had some independence but was expected to show deference
early automobiles broke down a lot and required
lots of maintenance
- some motorists became experts themselves
- others hired chauffeurs
someone with experience with machines dealt with automobiles
better than a re-trained coachman
but chauffeurs with mechanical knowledge didn't fit into the
traditional deferential role
they saw themselves as more like railroad engineers than
coachmen
some automobile owners learned about automobile repair so their
chauffeurs would not have an advantage over them
by 1910 the system was already shifting
- garage owners restricted the freedom of chauffeurs
- cars became more reliable and minor fixes became easier
- cars came to be seen as more private
- the number of chauffeurs continued to increase but they
were drivers, car owners were no longer so dependent on them
because of their mechanical knowledge
- the people with that knowledge were now the repair shops
from a reading response:
"People try to find a way to downplay the
reliance they have on other people by focusing on the technology
and distancing themselves from those who maintain technology and
allow it to happen... People like to think technology makes them
more independent and more powerful, yet they rely on people they
consider to be below them or a source of discomfort in order to
continue to enjoy technological advancements."
automobile registration and drivers licenses