Are certain careers more 'liberal' than others...?

[bliss_eternal]

Do you think that some careers and fields automatically draw conservatives, while others attract liberals? If so, what careers fields?

Have you worked in a liberal or conservative career?

I know that there are always a little bit of everything at any workplace. But when you look at certain fields, like law enforcement for example, it seems many in it are usually more conservative in nature...(but that's from the outside looking in)...

So, what fields do you have experience in, and did they seem to be liberal and progressive havens, or conservative?

:hi:

...just curious.

[AlCzervik]

1. i was in real estate until about 2 months ago and it's full of

conservatives but most were socially liberal, at least the ones i know.

[bliss_eternal]

8. Ugh--don't remind me!

I was temping in a real estate office during 9/11. What a horrible realization, that all the people you work with want to destroy the world with war, because it will be 'good for the economy.' :eyes:

I quit that assignment within weeks.

Glad you got out, too! :hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Education used to be dominated by liberals

But sadly, not anymore. Too many fundies.

[bliss_eternal]

6. Do you think this has come about due to the 'homeschooling'

trends?

I was reading from a board a few days ago, and every other word was Christian, Christ, homeschool,homebirth, natural, blah, blah. Couldn't tell you the site name though--found it through google and it scared me...I got out of it fast!

:scared:

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. No I don't think so but I can't be sure

There have always been a lot of very religious people in education. I almost always work with teachers who are married to preachers and a few who are preachers themselves. And they used to be pretty liberal. But in the last ten years or so a lot of religious folks have gone way right. So I think that has more to do with it than homeschooling.

[Maestro]

9. Amen to that!

Oh man, how ironic that to affirm that too many fundies are in education I answered with an amen. Somebody shoot me. ;)

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Sorry no guns in my house

But I hear your amen. The fundies are fundamently crazy, IMO. We had a Harry Potter discussion the other day at lunch and I was stunned that a couple of my co-workers now think these books are 'satanic'. I asked them if they were planning on teaching fantasy literature units this year. They didn't appreciate that remark. But I swear the crazier they get, the harder it will be for me to keep my good ole liberal mouth shut. LOL

[Maestro]

22. Argh! I hate HP discussions with fundies

They might as well as bash C.S. Lewis literature as well based on their points of view of witchcraft and crap like the that and he was an unabashed Christian.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. I always bring up the fantasy point

and I remind them the definition of fantasy is something that could not happen in real life. It seems more polite than saying "It's make believe, you idiot!"

[bliss_eternal]

28. LOL! But don't you want to say that?

Because it just seems so damned obvious that it IS make-believe! I mean, duh!

I know these people had to have heard from someone that this was 'evil' or 'wrong.' Their church,someone they knew, the internet or something. Honestly, they just weren't bright enough to reach such a conclusion on their own (not that it is an intelligent conclusion to reach--but I think you know what I mean).

They weren't really good at reaching conclusions on their own. Never heard them utter an original thought or idea.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. You would think they would want their kids to be critical thinkers

and a great way to make kids learn to think critically is to expose them to fantasy literature. You'd also think they would trust their kids to see the fantasy elements and know they are MAKE BELIEVE. Surely they can't think their kids would believe people can fly on brooms and cast spells. . . :eyes:

But I guess in Fundie World, it's okay to tell kids that it's true a guy was swalllowed and thrown up by a whale while it's not okay to tell them a fantasy story.

[bliss_eternal]

38. Excellent point--

but you are obviously intelligent and a critical thinker and know it's importance.

I guess it's asking too much for people that follow to raise children to lead and think for themselves... :eyes:

[Starlight]

49. Fundies prize OBEDIENCE, not critical thinking.

Unfortunately most that I have known want their children to be submissive, manageable & sheep-like. Critical thinking or questioning authority would NOT be seen as desirable traits. :patriot:

[bliss_eternal]

120. Well said, Starlight!

You found the perfect word 'obedience.' They really dig that! So sad...

I used to wonder why I had so little in common with their wives. They wanted to talk about every little thing about their kids, their kids habits, and gossip about their in-laws, families, etc. For balance (yes, I'm rolling my eyes here) from time to time, something about their latest church fundraiser would enter the discussion.

If I attempted to discuss politics, an interesting documentary I recently viewed or something going on in the world, their eyes glazed over--they blinked and they were gone.

I usually ended up in the room with the guys. :eyes:

[tigereye]

99. HP is the opposite of Satanic

it saddens me to think that so many people are so unable to divorce certain beliefs from their understanding of FICTION. Rowling ( and other kid's authors) has/have created such an imaginative world - what a shame to keep kids from it. Don't think I have seen anything indicating that kids who read HP are running out to get some Crowley books and cast a demon in their backyards... ;)

[bliss_eternal]

111. So many have enjoyed those books!

I've heard of them being read to shut ins or those that were very ill, and HP had a positive affect on their mood and recovery.

Isn't a shame some are so close minded?

[bliss_eternal]

23. Funny you should bring up Harry Potter--

Dh dumped some friends w/similiar views.

They were going to decorate their children's room with HP stuff. Dh had just read the books, and was excited, wanted to offer to buy some items for the kids room.

We were promptly informed that they had changed their mind. Seems the wife had read the book and was disturbed by the 'satanism', obviously present because someone drank unicorn blood... :wtf:

We call them Catholic Fundies, as they are JUST as bad as the christian fundies we've heard of. If someone else that lives and believes JUST AS THEY DO does it, then they can too...otherwise, it's highly suspect and probably bad. :eyes:

They tell their kids about Santa and the Easter bunny (fantasy) but drinking unicorn blood in a book is satanic? :headbang:

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. That is so sad to me

I was raised Catholic and to this day most Catholics I know are very liberal and NOT fundies. Catholicism used to be about tolerance and not about exclusion.

[bliss_eternal]

29. They live in a small town

even though we're talking California, it's a very small suburb. What's worse is these aren't well traveled people. Other than maybe on their honeymoons and family vacations, they have never left this town. Never.

They don't have different friends or encourage relationships that challenge their ideas. Aren't well read. If the church doesn't say so, or their families of origin, they don't bother.

It was like some little, weird city of the damned. I hated visiting. Was VERY thankful when dh grew tired of them and their limited thinking. VERY! :woohoo: LOL!

[MountainLaurel]

32. Catholics were upset by the drinking of unicorn blood?

Erm, maybe they ought to take a look at their own rites and that whole eating and drinking Jesus thing?

[bliss_eternal]

39. Haha! I know.

It was very odd, to say the least.

Yet the very same people 'willingly' watch REALITY tv. How much sense does that make?

:eyes: :puke:

[Coventina]

92. Did she pick up the point that drinking the blood was WRONG?

An EVIL character did it, and the book EXPLICITLY states that drinking unicorn blood is a horrible thing to do.

Now, I would be disturbed if the book PROMOTED the behavior, but Rowling makes it abundantly clear that killing a unicorn and drinking its blood is an evil act.

:eyes:

[bliss_eternal]

121. My dh tried to point that out...

their eyes glazed over, they blinked, nothing.

They SO didn't get it, or what the point was.

Face it, no one was 'telling them' how they should feel about that. So they had no idea...

[CornField]

94. When I was young I remember my mom talking to my teacher

about how I read everything I could get my hands on. (Seriously, I use to hide in the barn and read. LOL!)

I remember the teacher saying, "I don't care if the kids are reading Peanuts cartoon strips as long as they are reading!"

What happened to teachers like that?

[proud2BlibKansan]

106. I try to be like that

I honestly don't care what they read as long as they are reading.

Well I wouldn't encourage hard core porn, but that honestly hasn't been a problem - YET. LOL

[Lavender Brown]

3. I've always worked in the arts,

and have almost always had liberal colleagues. I guess that is a pretty obvious one though...

[bliss_eternal]

10. Not necessarily...

there are freepers that are actors (patricia heaton, dennis hopper) (one of the ramones-in music, punk music yet!).

So it's not always obvious, though I wish. But like you, the artsy areas I worked in, most if not all were liberal and progressive--thankfully. I wouldn't have survived any others! LOL!

[Lavender Brown]

17. I was thinking the less glamorous side of the arts...

not the well-paying ones, necessarily. But that's a pretty broad field so I know there have to be all kinds of people. That's just been my experience. :shrug:

[bliss_eternal]

19. Ah--I understand!

It's pretty much been my experience too. I'm always surprised when I find out conservatives work in ANY aspect of the arts. Baffles me. I've never considered conservatives imaginative or particularly creative thinkers.

[Dastard Stepchild]

4. Social work...

for the most part, draws in a pretty liberal (or at the very least TOLERANT) bunch. And academia. I'm in both settings. I revel in the liberalosity.

[bliss_eternal]

12. Good to know!

Most of the social workers I've known (other than one or two isolated people) were pretty liberal, too...

[Dastard Stepchild]

40. I've known about three conservative social workers...

but the vast majority, in my experience, have not been.

As for academia...I am associated with two universities. One is so liberal that the conservatives really are closet conservatives. One is a mix (tho leaning more towards conservative), though my particular program is very liberal.

I am thinking of starting up a social workers activist network. I think it might stand a fair reception. :)

[bliss_eternal]

42. What a great idea!!!

Good luck with it--I'm sure you will get a good reception to it.

Though one I once knew of that was a sw, seemed to go out of their way to NOT get involved in politics (which only hurt them--as their state and county was growing more conservative as each year passed. Which in turn was hurting their dept, pay, etc.) Their rationale was that with what they did day in and out, they couldn't deal with such heavy issues...

Which I can understand, but don't come crying to me that the conservatives are destroying everything when you refuse to take interest in what's going on.

[Dastard Stepchild]

48. Thanks :)

I think that there are some of us who feel that we aren't active enough in our professional lives... that we've become bureaucrats lite. I really want to inject a little more rabble-rousing into the equation. :)

[Tallison]

64. What specialties were they in?

And hi, sjbech, BTW! :hi:

[Dastard Stepchild]

67. hey you! :)

Two worked in substance abuse, and one was, terrifyingly, in marital/family therapy. The two substance abuse workers and I disagreed significantly regarding the philosophy of care for clients with substance use issues, and they were (and are) socially, politically, economically conservative. The marital/family therapist held similarly conservative views.

I always wondered if their clients knew what they were in for when stepping into their office for the first time. :)

[tigereye]

100. I work in community mental health and have for years

one of my colleagues actually had a * sticker on his car. I was astounded. I really do not understand how anyone who works with the populations that we do(and sees how conservative economic and social policies hurt our work and our clients) could have that view.

:shrug:

[Dastard Stepchild]

103. I never understood this myself...

These three clinicians had astoundingly poor views of the clients they worked with. What compelled them to take on social work? I'll never know.

[LaurenG]

126. This was my answer too

I work in the medical field. The vast majority of S.W., psychologists and psychiatrists are liberal in their philosophy. How could they be otherwise? They'd have to judge all of their clients and condemn them to hades.

[no name no slogan]

30. So does gubmint work

for the most part. About 70% of my coworkers are liberals-- AND union members, too.

[bliss_eternal]

31. Wow--that's great!

Good to hear!

[Dastard Stepchild]

37. For real?

Good to know, since it is prolly in my future, to some extent.
May I ask what you do?

[no name no slogan]

46. I work in IT/Tech

for a large state government agency. We have approximately 4,000 employees in my dept, and a budget of over a billion dollars annually.

[Dastard Stepchild]

47. wow...

That is a huge organization. I mean... massive. I can't even picture it. :)

[noonwitch]

86. I agree, have been a social worker for over 18 years

There are some conservatives, but they tend to be conservatives who have a more realistic outlook on the inequities that are out there in our country and the world.

[Dastard Stepchild]

104. Ohhh... I have a question for ya...

Does MI have licensing requirements for practicing social workers? An LSW or LCSW? Someone told me that MI does not license social workers, and I am wondering if this is true.

[Selatius]

5. Upper level mgmt positions seems to be conservative

You will notice that the school of business on most college campuses seem to be the bastion of conservatism. At least, that's what it looks like to me. There are a few liberals in there, but it seems there generally are more conservatives.

[Telly Savalas]

21. Which is really a shame.

If liberals held the majority of these positions, the world would be a much better place.

[bliss_eternal]

26. So true...

You need people that know how to talk to people, care and are compassionate. I'm not saying someone that wears their heart on their sleeve, but at least understanding of the people they work with.

As opposed to those that are more concerned with fascist monitoring of employees adherence to rules and regulations, write-ups, etc.

I know the scope is much broader than this. Just a few off the cuff observations from my prior experience.

[Selatius]

107. Power is the name of the game

You cannot change anything without power or the ability to exert control over the lives of others. Those who have fought for worthy causes realized this just as those who wished to impose their own brand of tyranny did. It's just a matter of who gets the power. Unfortunately, if you want to snatch back power from those who are currently destroying the US from the inside out, you have to enter the lion's den. You have to enter their world and fight them on their home turf.

It seems we live in a society built on competition, and it seems those who are most willing to be cutthroat and not allow any moral issues to stand in the way of the bottom line will always triumph in the business world. Call it greed; call it being "economically feasible." If money equals power, then the ones with the most money and the most resources will always have a competitive advantage over those who own nothing, usually their workers.

This is why I question capitalism as a sustainable way of life for humanity and for the survival of earth as a habitable world, but here in the school of business, I find it best to keep such ideas to myself. I see the writing on the wall. I know the score.

Being the most unmerciful, most cutthroat, most vicious son of a bitch in the business world may reward you with a gigantic check at the end of the year, but it's no way to live, and it's too costly for the soul, for humanity, and for the planet. This is why Wal-Mart is the most successful enterprise in the retail world (the world's largest retailer, in fact), but it came about by bulldozing mom and pop competitors, suppressing worker dissent, and doing business in countries with authoritarian governments like Beijing that don't give a damn about labor standards, environmental standards, or humanity in general.

But hey! It brought home the check. That's what counts because that's what made Wal-Mart into the world's biggest retailer on earth. Nobody who has ever given a damn about others, nobody who has ever stood by because he or she wanted to help another person could claim such a title because while they spend time helping others, the greediest are busy running ahead to claim the prize. That is what you get with our way of life.

The question is do you accept it or reject it.

[WCGreen]

54. Business management, by it's nature, is conservative...

The whole philosophy behind management is to be carefull, prudent and err on the side of conserving the profitablity of the firm....

[PittPoliSci]

7. i don't know many conservative escorts...

[Maestro]

11. Except Guckert/Gannon.

:rofl:

[bliss_eternal]

14. LOL!

:rofl:

[PittPoliSci]

15. YES!!!

:rofl:

[tigereye]

101. oh, so that's how you're making money now!

;)

[PittPoliSci]

129. i wish!

:p

[tigereye]

138. snort!

I'll have to remember that next time G doesn't want to go to some function with me! j/k

[freeplessinseattle]

137. oh believe me they're out there, even in Seattle

http://myecommunity.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=8

this is an escort/client discussion board in Seattle I ran across on craigslist. entertaining to say the least. there are several political related topics on this page, Bush's Debacle, War on Porn, More fuel to the fire, and a little humor.

[MountainLaurel]

16. Librarians tend to be liberal

Because freedom of information and access to information (which is just as, if not more, important). Plus, it pays shit.

[bliss_eternal]

20. I'm sorry the pay sucks!

:(

I have a lot of respect for librarians and library science. They should be paid more.

[MountainLaurel]

34. It's one of those "women's profession" deals

Women were recruited into librarianship in the late 1800s because libraries could pay them like crap, and it's never changed.

[bliss_eternal]

44. That's bs! I guess that was also the case with teachers, nurses

etc.

:mad:

[entanglement]

59. I'm very sorry to hear that

Librarians deserve more respect from society;

[UrbScotty]

24. It doesn't hurt that Librarians actually READ (nt)

[huskerlaw]

88. Agree.

My library science program was filled with FAR more liberals than my law school class. And the few conservatives were pretty moderate.

[LostinVA]

125. It REALLY pays bad!

[MountainLaurel]

134. Yep, especially considering

That it requires a master's degree.

[Ksec]

33. Working in a porn shop is conservative

They are all perverts and tend to go towards these pervert professions.
:)

[mongo]

102. Thanks a lot for calling me a pervert

and, just for your information, most of the adult entertainment industry is progressive.

Jeesh...

[Guy Fawkes]

105. A good friend of mine...

spent half an hour in a porn store (on his 18th birthday).... talking to the owner about politics. The guy was a hard-core democrat (as was my friend.)

BTW, the porn-store-ownership around here seems to pay very badly.

[bliss_eternal]

112. Thanks for clearing things up on the porn industry--

the stores at least. I didn't have evidence, so I didn't contradict the original poster regarding porn store workers. But I thought that would be rather odd.

Conservatives are usually trying to shut down porn stores--when secretly, you know they shop there, in disguise of course!:P

[alarcojon]

36. Another vote for the ivory tower

being liberal. Not 100%, of course, but significantly more liberals in my experience. I'm a mathematician, and I'd say about 90% of my colleagues (in a large department) are liberals.

That might have something to do with the fact that, to get a PhD, you not only have to have strong critical thinking skills (anathema to a freeper) but also have to go through many years of graduate study with little pay. Conservatives generally want to be making big bucks right out of undergrad. Also, especially for the amount of time invested in education, the academy pays less than many other professions.

[bliss_eternal]

41. Dh's very liberal uncle

is a math teacher. We love him! One of the only relatives we stay in touch with.

[Telly Savalas]

45. My experience in a math department was the same.

There were a few conservative students gunning for a master's degree, but as far as I could tell pretty much all of the PhD students and faculty tended towards liberalism.

[entanglement]

60. It's not just the pay...most people are clueless about the

importance of research scientists (and academic researchers) to society and that results in them being portrayed as nerds or a bunch of crazies in white lab coats;

As for the amount of time invested in grad school to get a PhD, based on my experience (so far) I'd say it's worth every minute.

[alarcojon]

61. I'm glad to hear that

but a conservative is not likely to feel the same way - that was my point.

[Tallison]

65. So what about dividing infinity by infinity?

Does it equal 1 or what?

[Solon]

71. I'll take a shot at that, easily enough...

the 2 inifinities in question, have to be, in this universe at least, equal to each other. So yes, infinity divided by itself equals 1. Easy enough to answer that. Defining infinity is more difficult, for, as far as we are aware of it, nothing is infinite, in this Universe at least. Even taking into account EVERYTHING in the universe, all matter and energy combined, and you would still come up with one discreet number, and oddly enough that number would encompass all the information ever produced by said universe from the Big Bang up to the point it was calculated. As an aside, even if we built the fastest possible quantum computer, running parellel with almost infinite copies of itself in parellel universes, it would still take till either the cold death or "big crunch" at the end of this universe, pick a theory, to calculate such a number(same could be said for pi as well). Also, one last note, within the context of one universe, there is NO infinity in real terms, however, in context of a multiverse, there very well may be many more possibilities than I can dream up.

[Tallison]

80. But if the infinities are equal to each other

(or at least have the capacity to be disparite in value), they can't be "infinite" in that value, no?

Thanks for engaging here; this liberal arts major just loves this shit. :D

[Solon]

89. Ha, my main point, which went right over my head...

forgot it entirely, see, infinity cannot be of a disparate value to itself, so divided by itself always equals one, thanks for clearing that up for me.

[entanglement]

98. Actually, it has different answers (Sorry for threadjack, OP)

(theory of Limits in calculus)

For example


Limit
x -> Infinity

x
-----
x+1

equals 1


What this means is that as you make x larger and larger (x 'tends to' infinity), the expression x divided by (x+1) approaches 1 more and more closely; for example
3/4 is 0.75; 9/10 is 0.9 (closer to 1); 99/100 is 0.99 which is even closer. So you indeed get closer and closer to 1 as the answer to the division in this case as the number x becomes very large

However,


Limit
x -> Infinity

x
-------------
(x+1)(x+1)


which also represents the division of two infinities, as it were, is zero (0)! In a way, the 'stronger' infinity (x+1)(x+1) overpowers the 'weaker' one (x) You can put larger and larger values of x in this expression and check using a calculator that the figure goes to zero

ex 3/(4*4) = 0.1875
but
20/(21*21) = 0.0435
and so on

[Tallison]

130. Are you saying x+1 is defined

when x=infinity? I thought someone blew this out of the water on a counting thread not too long back...

[alarcojon]

108. It can equal anything you want

and is in fact referred to as an "indeterminate form" in calculus.

For example, consider the functions 2x and x. As x goes to infinity (gets larger and larger without bound), both go to infinity. Their ratio, though, goes to 2x/x=2. On the other hand, the ratio x/2x goes to 1/2 as x goes to infinity. I hope this example makes clear how infinity divided by infinity could take on any value.

[Tallison]

131. Best explanation so far

Awesome.

On edit: And so simple, too.

[alarcojon]

135. Glad I could help

I hope my years as a math prof have helped me explain things in an accessible way.

If you have any other questions like these you'd like to discuss, feel free to PM me.

[Bill McBlueState]

84. all good points

I'd add that academics tend to be liberal because we create knowledge through research. The entire concept of creating knowledge, rather than believing what's always been believed, is liberal at its core.

Look at how real biologists want to fill in the gaps in our understanding of evolution, while intelligent design proponents want to invoke a deity. The very process of science is offensive to hardcore conservatives.

[alarcojon]

87. Thanks for the added thoughts.

Well stated.

[bliss_eternal]

43. I get the sense the medical field leans right...

though alternative medicine leans left.

The few experiences I have had with that field, it seemed that way...but am open to correction if my observations are off.

[Wapsie B]

55. I have no idea as to the ratio of left vs. right with doctors.

I've known some very conservative MD's as well as those on the Left.

[bliss_eternal]

70. I would guess that MD's

that provide abortions are liberal. I also suspect (but I could be very wrong) that neonatologists may be liberal or progressive as well.

I worked in research for a hospital nicu unit. The doctors and nurses I encountered seemed to be pro-choice. Now they still could have held other conservative views besides that. :shrug:

[Tallison]

63. RNs w/experience tend to be left

I'm sure with MDs it depends on their specialty.

[tedoll78]

83. I've just started in radiology..

and the people I've met through clinical rotations and now at my job seem to lean left overall. There's a Chimp supporter or two in there, but they know they're outnumbered.

The doctors..? I'm not so sure about them. More time is needed for me to research.

[bliss_eternal]

114. I would be curious to hear what you find out, in time...

This is interesting.

Congratulations on your new position in radiology! :applause:

[xmas74]

85. Medical goes both ways.

I've met a few extremely conservative and quite a few who were very liberal.
IMO, most of them were moderate.

[shanti]

50. social services

has a lot of libs....

[Fox Mulder]

51. Most people who I worked with in retail...

were liberals.

The store managers were conservative.

[bliss_eternal]

69. The retail company I worked for --

the managers could go either way. But when you got into the corporate arena, the district managers and regionals--all men, all conservative.

I watched many women quit, and move into other fields, as they felt moving up would mean a lot more work, without the benefit of eventually moving into regional positions. So it seemed to be a dead end. Didn't blame them at all for quitting.

[Z_I_Peevey]

52. Long ago and far away,

journalism attracted smart, liberal people.

[Neshanic]

53. Architects, Designers...oh the ones that have more gay guys.

They seem to be rather open minded than other professions in general.

[WCGreen]

56. I am an accountant by trade......

It is a very conservative field... Again, as I mentioned above, it is conservative by nature....

One of the underlying principles of Accounting is conservatism....

But I am a liberal, always will be a liberal....

I was such an anomaly in the local party that at one time, I was the treasurer for several candidates as well as the party....

When I ran for office, my slogan was

The mind of an accountant...

The heart of a democrat....

[Wapsie B]

57. The Financial Service fields are dominated by conservatives.

I was in Insurance for a few years working with a company run by a close bud of John Ashcroft. So that should tell you the political outlook of the company. These days it's hard to look a banker in the eyes and not have a sense of hatred come over me, knowing full well that many in their ranks are enablers that allowed the selection of the chimp once again.

[WCGreen]

58. I know... That is why I stick mostly to tax returns now.....

I was a controller for a while, nut the people I had to deal with on a daily basis, not the people at work but the vendors and such, were all gung ho bush people and just assumed I was as well........

[bliss_eternal]

68. Cool slogan!

I would have voted for you! :)

[WCGreen]

93. Yea, we thought it was cool....

Unfortuantly, 62% of the people didn;t gget it.....

[NewJeffCT]

75. I'm an accountant, too, but accountants are to the left of actuaries!

Well, I'm more on the other side of things in Financial Reporting, but it is definitely a conservative profession... but, here in the Northeast, I'd say they are more socially moderate.

There are a few other accountants on DU as well - underpants, for one.

Actuaries, however, seem to be pretty darn conservative, even their personalities (my old boss used to joke about actuaries that an outgoing actuary would look at your shoes when they talked to you, while a regular one would look at their own shoes)

[bliss_eternal]

113. Wow--talk about your introverts!

I guess they don't do well in social situations at all! :scared:

[NewJeffCT]

128. well, it was a joke

but, actuaries I've known through the years are generally numbers people and on the introverted side. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

[Kickin_Donkey]

62. Journalism ...

True journalists have to have an open mind, a curiosity about the world around them, tolerance of viewpoints they might personally disagree with, an interest in people, critical thinking skills, and the desire, as the adage goes, to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. They generally have empathy and altruism, a desire to observe and learn, and a yearning for the truth. What could be more liberal (and the antithesis of the conservative mind) than that?.

Maybe most importantly, the kind of people who go into journalism don't love money -- which is a necessary condition because the field doesn't pay well.

Conservatives of the same education would rather be stockbrokers or corporate executives.

I work at a small-town newspaper in a conservative area, and the vast majority of the journalists lean left, with the rest being either middle of the road, iconoclastic, or nonpolitical. If they're conservative, they're in the closet or in the sports department.

(I know this will provide fodder for conservatives to complain about the "liberal media," but the liberalism of the individual journalist is curbed by professional standards and the imperatives of the conservative companies in which they work.)

[misanthrope]

72. I know a managing editor...

...at an independent paper who is very conservative. In fact, he once worked as a press secretary for Trent Lott.

I know a few other journalist types who are conservatives, too.

[NewJeffCT]

74. Reporters may be more liberal

But, editors are generally conservative and publishers are overwhelmingly conservative. And, guess who controls what gets printed?

[Kickin_Donkey]

76. I don't doubt that you can bring up examples ...

of conservatives in the journalism field.

However, the OP asked if there were liberal-leaning professions. In general, I think journalism is one such field.

Maybe there are more conservatives in the field in your part of the country. Even though I work at a newspaper in a conservative area, it is in Northern California.

[aaronbees]

73. I generally agree...

About true journalists you're absolutely correct...

I'm at a mid-sized city daily in a conservative, Southern city. I'd say it's a 2:1 lib vs. conservative ratio for the people in the newsroom itself. The most outspoken conservatives seem to be a few curmudgeons who've been around too long, but even they are more open-minded than conservatives that I've met hailing from other professions. What's good to see is that the young journalists there are almost uniformly liberal, questioning, empathetic and ... getting angry at what's being done to this country.

So, when people start taking large swipes at the "mainstream media," I just think they're misguided. (The real problem, as I see it, is corporate journalism.)

[Kickin_Donkey]

77. You hit the nail on the head ...

The most outspoken conservatives seem to be a few curmudgeons who've been around too long, but even they are more open-minded than conservatives that I've met hailing from other professions.

This is exactly the same experience I've had. Those old curmudgeons who've been around too long. And they are easier to talk to than your rabid right-winger.

[GalleryGod]

78. Thanks for a great post! Sounds like a really cool job!

Love your avatar!:donut:

[Trigger Hippie]

91. I was a journalist for a weekly paper in

South Louisiana. All of us, reporters and editors, were liberals. I think we were the only libs in town. :eyes:

[6000eliot]

66. I read somewhere that librarians are the most liberal group by occupation.

[GalleryGod]

79. And "Wild" After Hours !

:evilgrin: too many old soft porn movies I guess?:evilgrin:

[LostinVA]

127. Actually, the librarian stereotype is kinda true

for about 50% of the occupation. But only 50%. They are alot of hidden tats and bongs that appear when groups of certain librarians get together, let me tell you!

(it's also cool when you see an elderly librarian in a ratty cardigan and glasses on a chain berate a patron for complaining about the gay literature display....)

Support your local libraries (public, school, and academic) folks -- it's on of the last true bastions of freedom left in this country.

[Left_Winger]

81. I been called "liberal" for being a teacher

and the individual who called me that blamed it on all my education.

[bliss_eternal]

116. Wow--what a dumb ass!

They thought they were 'insulting' you by saying you were educated?
:dunce:

[Left_Winger]

132. The actual words were

"I know your education has made a liberal out of you..."

[bliss_eternal]

133. (Sigh)

I shudder that we have come to a day when being educated is reviled and immediately equated with liberalism, as if being liberal is equal to being evil. As opposed to being what it is, a perspective, a stance.

Damn the idiots that made 'liberal' a dirty word... :mad:

[Akoto]

82. I work in the performing arts, and ...

As someone who primarily does voiceover, I'd have to say that many people with whom I work hold to liberal views. That may just be my personal experience.

I'm studying broadcast tech so that I can find steady work as a radio host, but that's a very daunting thing. A large part of radio is dominated by the right-wing.

[bliss_eternal]

123. Good luck with breaking in as a radio host!

I hope you can find your way in! I see what Stern went through as an outspoken progressive--hopefully you will find your way in. They can't control every station forever!

[leftofthedial]

90. social worker--liberal

mercenary--conservative

working at a shelter taking in homeless people--liberal
working at a finance company making people bankrupt and homeless--conservative

raising and selling organic vegetables--liberal
manufacturing and selling weapons--conservative

[CornField]

95. Work from Home = mostly conservative

There tend to be two types of WAH Moms:

1) Happy to have the opportunity - doing it because she wants to and because it offers a certain freedom not found in the workplace.

2) Forced into the situation - doing it because the family needs the extra money it provides. (In this case, the family unit typically frowns upon the mother working outside of the home.)

By and large, those who are happy to have the opportunity are liberal while those who have been somewhat forced into the situation are conservative.

Another observation: those who have chosen to work from home are much happier, make more money and don't seem to be as stressed about life when compared to those for whom the choice has been made.

I wish I could make observations about the fathers who have chosen to work from home, but there isn't one in any of my networking groups.

[bliss_eternal]

117. Interesting observations.

So interesting that this is within the stay at home mom category.

I'm aware of an entire subculture of women that are artists, crafters, writers and such--many if not most are liberal.A lot of the ones I am aware of, advertise their businesses, services, etc. in the back of a feminist magazine!

I temp while I work on my home based business, I'm not a parent. I am married and consider myself lucky (and am happy) to be exploring this opportunity as a possibility. :D

So in a weird way, I think I just proved you right :P(even though I'm not a mom).

[skipos]

96. music industry is progressive

Not that that is much of a surprise.

[CBHagman]

97. Independent bookstores, from what I can tell.

Granted, at the independent company where I work part-time, there are some Bushites and/or somewhat conservative types. But for the most part, I've seen a good many progressives. It doesn't hurt that the work seems to attract musicians, artists, photographers, and activists of the liberal breed.

[bliss_eternal]

118. Sounds a lot like the restaurant world--lots of artists

were waiting tables or bartending. Probably a big factor as to why the turn over tends to be high, too. Liberals get sick of the corporate bullshit within a survival job.

I've had some great political conversations even at the local Borders, with a few booksellers.

[NMMNG]

109. I've worked in human services since I was 19

That field seems to be predominantly liberal. I've also done some work in retail, albeit in the grunt levels and lower management. That was so long ago, and back then I wasn't politically active so I couldn't say what leanings people had.

[bliss_eternal]

122. Thank you for trying to make the world a better place!

:applause:

It's a tough field, I'm impressed that you've been at it so long!

[Merrick]

110. Research science

out of 25 or so people in my lab I think there's one conservative, and he's the computer guy. I guess its hard to be conservative when the RW is so hell bent on cutting your funding and putting you out on your ass while making a mockery of the most fundamental tenets of your profession by trying to replace them with religious fairy tales in the nation's schools.

[bliss_eternal]

119. Those are encouraging (informal) statistics--

gives me hope for the research industry. Maybe there's some hope for the future of science in this country...

[Seabiscuit]

115. Anyone ever hear of a right-wing streetwalker?

(practicing the "oldest profession")

[LostinVA]

124. Librarians/library workers -- mainly liberal

Often VERY liberal... remember what Michael Moore said: librarians are the true subversives...

VERY conservative ones are few and far between... though they do exist....

[Tallison]

136. Hell yeah, librarians are among the mainstays of

Civil Rights advocates. Someone else mentioned this upthread. :thumbsup: