Garbage Men and Doctors

We were sitting in Introduction to Sociology on Wednesday and my professor started to talk about the Conflict Theory. The conflict theory suggests that certain sociologists look at society through a lens that emphasizes the tensions within society. So, instead of looking at things with a positive outlook or figuring out the different parts of society and what make them work, Conflict Theorists focus on the tensions between groups in society. They see some groups taking advantage of and benefiting at the expense of other groups. While talking about the Conflict Theory, my professor brought up communism. I must admit that I began to tune out the lecture on focus on things I deemed more important because communism has never been an interesting topic in my opinion. Then my professor said something that caught my attention and made me think. He started talking about a garbage man and a doctor and asked why we pay doctors more. I began to think. Why do we pay doctors more? Sure, they have much more schooling and education compared to a garbage man. But which one do you depend on more from a day to day basis? Do you see your doctor every day? I would hope not. But your garbage man comes by almost every day and cleans up after you. Looking at it from this perspective, you depend on a garbage man much more than a doctor on a day to day basis. But yet, a doctor has much more respect and authority than a garbage man does. Which do you need more? Yes, there are multiple cases where doctors are needed to save lives, but you can also say the same for garbage men believe it or not. What would happen if they never came to pick up your trash every morning? Where would it go? Trash would build up in the cities, the streets, and in people’s homes. Conditions would become unsanitary. Diseases would be able to thrive and flourish and then you would depend on your doctor on a daily basis. Now do garbage men actually save lives? Probably not, that’s a hard argument to fight. But they certainly do you a favor by making your living conditions sanitary and habitable. Getting back to their respective salaries, why do doctors get paid so much more? Yes, they have longer hours and much more education. And in many people’s eyes the doctor’s job is much more important. I’m not saying that doctor’s don’t deserve the respect and the salaries that they get; I’m just saying that I think you should reconsider some other people’s worth. Maybe we should lower doctor’s salaries a little bit so people like garbage men get some more money for doing a job that we depend on much more frequently than a doctor. Is there another interest being served here? There is certainly more money to be made in the medicinal industry in comparison to the sanitary department. From a Conflict Theorist’s perspective, it would seem as if one group is taking advantage of and benefiting at the expense of another group. Whose interest is truly being served? Is it for the greater good of the public? Does it benefit us? I’m not sure. For one thing, I’ll tell you that I’m extremely grateful to be seen by a good doctor when I become ill or when I am in need of health services. But I can also say that I need a garbage man much more frequently than I need a doctor. I think that both jobs are extremely important. In some circumstances, one seems to be much more important than the other. So I think that they both have their moments of benefiting society. But are the doctor’s moments of glory and aid really that much better than a garbage man’s? Whoever is reading this probably thinks that I’m crazy. I assure you that I am quite sane. I also can assure you that I am not a communist. These are just some thoughts that popped into my head during class while thinking about the issues we were discussing at the time. You don’t have to agree with everything or anything I’m saying, but I think it would be worthwhile if you took some time and thought about some of these ideas as well.