Once trustworthy professions now looked at suspiciously. (drug, lawyers, accuse)
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I have come to notice that certain professions that were once generally respected and revered have now become looked at with suspicion and downright hostility by significant portions of the population.
Now some professions have always been the subject of ridicule and derision:
Politicians
Lawyers
Just to name a few.
But others at least from my observations were once universally held in high regard have now become scrutinized heavily by some people:
Law Enforcement: Law Enforcement does have a history of corruption in certain municipalities such as Chicago in the 1930's or New York in the 60's and 70's. But universally they have been held in high esteem and practically everyone trusted Police officers.
Now in today's time a significant portion of people across all demographics have developed a sense of distrust due to several controversial incidents bringing up accusations of excessive force, racial prejudice, and overall abuse of authority.
Educators: Almost every profession involved in education was once looked at with great respect if not by students than by parents. After all it was thought that these people were providing children the basic education needed to function in society while parents went to work or lacked the proper tools to do so.
Now educators, primarily in public education are looked at with vitriol by some people. They are accused of being biased and having personal agendas or are accused of being incompetent and apathetic. Sadly because this is public education they are automatically linked to the stigma some people have created with other government employees who treat their job as a means to get a paycheck rather than trying to reach their students effectively and passionately.
Professions in the medical care. Almost all professions in medical care, mainly physicians, were once considered unquestionably trustworthy are now accused of being corrupted by pharmaceutical companies who simply want physicians to push their products onto their patients. At this point I can honestly say that the only profession involved in the medical industry that is still held in high regard are nurses.
Scientists: Certain disciplines in the scientific community have always been questioned by the general populace but it was generally accepted that science was a tool necessary for moving humanity forward. Now it seems like virtually all disciplines in the field of science have now been looked at as disingenuous by segments of our population.
The scrutiny of science is especially prickly because here people believe to be true whatever validates their own beliefs about a particular subject and will cherry pick scientific data and studies to back those beliefs while dismissing all contrary findings.
These particular institutions are important to our society. One protects us, one teaches our youths, one helps keeps us healthy while the other gives us new discoveries about life in general.
If the uniform trust in these institutions continues to break down what will happen to society?
Another question I want to pose is why is the trust in these institutions breaking down?
Have these institutions become that corrupt? Or is it because people have become more entitled, irrational, paranoid and rigid in their beliefs and expectations?
1 Politicians- we put them in office and they do not have our best interest in mind, just there own.
2 Police- "To Serve And Protect" They abuse their authority when we count on them for help. How many times have you seen them racing through traffic just to pass someone. Killed unarmed people. I have friends and family that are cops, some tell me how corupt the force is and others are part of the problem bragging about what they have done.
3 Lawyers- I haven't met a trust worthy one yet and then they become our politicians
4 Doctors- this is where the line turns gray, I met some great ones and some that miss diagnosis for profit. I have a friend that deliberately administered a drug that wasn't needed and killed their father.
5 Teachers- This is a gray area too. I know many and they tell me how some do the bare minimum.
The trust in these institutions is from the top down. People in power abuse the system and that sets the new standard of how things need to be done. Or people in power just do nothing not meeting the needs of the people.
Term limits, Making tax returns public for federal government officials is a start to a fix.
I would disagree on law enforcement, while its true that many people today are vocal in their opposition to police, talk is about where it ends though. Most people today are ready to call police over the slightest thing, even more people automatically trust anything, anyone from law enforcement claims, whether its an allegation or law enforcement suggesting what laws we need or any changes needed to existing laws, I would feel safe saying that majority of people today are extremely pro-police and pro-police state.
I also think law enforcement is what keeps any type of public revolution from happening, most agree our govt needs to change, but to really start a revolution, law enforcement would be the first line of defense any revolution comes up against...and civilians battling police on tv screens would look a whole lot like domestic terrorism!
........ If the uniform trust in these institutions continues to break down what will happen to society?
Another question I want to pose is why is the trust in these institutions breaking down?
Have these institutions become that corrupt? Or is it because people have become more entitled, irrational, paranoid and rigid in their beliefs and expectations?
I think you need to determine whose society/societies it is that is breaking trust with those institutions. Is there a uniform break of trust with these institutions also happening in most other nations around the world or is it mainly happening in your own nation? If it's only happening in your own nation then the root of the problem lies with the society in your nation, not with the institutions. A nation's societal problems can rub off onto the institutions within that nation.
I would disagree on law enforcement, while its true that many people today are vocal in their opposition to police, talk is about where it ends though. Most people today are ready to call police over the slightest thing, even more people automatically trust anything, anyone from law enforcement claims, whether its an allegation or law enforcement suggesting what laws we need or any changes needed to existing laws, I would feel safe saying that majority of people today are extremely pro-police and pro-police state.
I also think law enforcement is what keeps any type of public revolution from happening, most agree our govt needs to change, but to really start a revolution, law enforcement would be the first line of defense any revolution comes up against...and civilians battling police on tv screens would look a whole lot like domestic terrorism!
Not in my circle. We don't call police for hardly anything. Have never really trusted then and my dad retired as a captain.
It would look like a revolution of a corrupt system to me. Domestic terrorism looks like Dylan Roof.
The Media, due to slanted reporting by both left and right wing groups. When you can’t trust the press to report the truth, or at least report all sides of an issue, you just give up & believe what you want to believe. We loath politicians, and we hate the press just as much. “News” now consists of various talking heads giving their own points of view. Whoop-de-do.
I think we are living in a time where education and expertise are dismissed as elitist. People think their feelings are more valid than facts. They dismiss the idea that the people who have spent the time to learn and practice a professional discipline may in fact have more knowledge in that field.
I think you need to determine whose society/societies it is that is breaking trust with those institutions. Is there a uniform break of trust with these institutions also happening in most other nations around the world or is it mainly happening in your own nation? If it's only happening in your own nation then the root of the problem lies with the society in your nation, not with the institutions. A nation's societal problems can rub off onto the institutions within that nation.
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A developing theory seems to be that the Internet with the ability of everybody being able to offer an opinion is adding to the breakdown of previously accepted situations. Social media is often reported by the news media and we all know how they will bend the truth for a good story.
Seriously if you are here at City-Data more than once a week you have to see how the Internet can influence your thinking.
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