Politics Information |
The Professions of the Future
Predicting the future is a tricky business. There have been countless ridiculous failures at identifying the trends and products which will determine the future shape of our life and our environment. Even more difficult is trying to guess which of us will be deemed a useful member of the community - and which an obsolete relic. To a large extent, the answer to this question lies in determining the useful professions of the future. This is an age when people are determined, defined and categorized in strict accordance with their professions. Whereas during the Renaissance, a person might have been defined by his range of interests (remember the likes of Leonardo da Vinci), by his familial, religious, or ethnic affiliations, by his or her gender and so on - today the first and foremost question is a person's profession. The first question that we must provide a clear answer to is: What constitutes a profession (as opposed to a hobby), a vocation (as opposed to an avocation)? To qualify as a profession, the act must bear the following hallmarks:
The second relevant question is: What are the trends which determine our future? It is useless to look at microtrends. These are too volatile and, in principle, unpredictable. Much more important are the trends that last for hundreds or even thousands of years. These are usually not the results of technological conjuncture or geopolitical upheavals. Rather, they are the outcomes of characteristic human activities which are uninterrupted. Healthcare, for instance, is such a human activity. Humans - terrified of death and infirmity - always wanted and are very likely to continue to want to improve their health and thus to postpone the inevitable and better the quality of what is available. Another such overriding tendency is education: this is a part of the human survival kit. By educating oneself, by studying a profession, by learning more about the world - one better one's chances to survive. Out of this set of human, almost deterministic activities, a group of overriding trends emerges: From Less Mobility to More Mobility People, goods and, lately, information became and become, daily, more and more mobile. Physical distance has been shrunk. A global marketplace has formed. Information is almost instantly available anywhere. This was described as the global village - an outdated concept which might soon be replaced by the global home. All the professions which has to do with more mobility will benefit and represent preferred professions of the future. The moving of people: pilots, drivers, the car industry, sophisticated traffic planners and automotive innovators, tourism related professions and so on. The moving of goods: shipping, trucking, air and modern train travel. This area is already so specialized that I do not consider it as offering opportunities in the future (put differently, I do not regard it as a growth industry). The moving of information (today dubbed: "The Service Industries"): Trading systems, the Internet, Networking and communications related professions, the field of communications within the computer industries, telecommunications, entertainment related professions, technologies of banking. The creation of destinations for people, goods and information (commonly known as Markets or Marketplaces): advertising, marketing, trading, design, image and public relations experts. The Age Polarization of Society Better medicine will lead to a polarization of the age structure of society: there will be more older people and more younger people. Gradually, as birth rates fall and contraception becomes widespread, a reverse pyramid will be formed: most people will be middle aged and old. This offers a clear view of professions which will be required in the future: Professionals to take care of older and younger people (which have very similar needs): nurses, paramedics, nannies, entertainers, leisure time professionals, companions, specialized equipment manufacturers, operators of homes for the very old or for the very young, pension planners, manufacturers of specialized medical and paramedical needs and products for both age groups, legal and accounting specialists in pension and inheritance laws and tax planning. Virtually every industry and field of human activity will have to adapt themselves to these demographic changes. Age-related expertise will develop in each one of them. This applies to the arts (mainly music and cinema) as well as to the crafts, to industry as well as to agriculture, to infrastructure as well as to government. Human society will be enormously influenced by these shifts. The Fragmentation of Society Initially, society was composed of very large units. People belonged to tribes "nations". These were groupings of up to hundreds of thousands of people. They felt amply defined by this belonging. Nothing was left out when you said that a certain person was "Hebrew". Nothing needed to be added. Stereotypes were more than sufficient and, usually accurate. Later, the concept of family fully emerged. First, in a very extended form: the family comprised a few generations and all removed family (blood) connections. Gradually, the family shed more and more layers. People began to be called by family names only 250 years ago. The nuclear family was an invention of the 19th century, when the industrial revolution and modern methods of transport and communication broke families apart. Even this relatively small units came under a debilitating attack in the last 50 years and the nuclear family underwent a nuclear implosion, it disintegrated. Today, the basic unit of society, its cell, its atom, is the individual. People will tend to isolate themselves: stay more at home, work from it with flexitime, form and break up short term attachments to other humans or be engaged in non-committal activities with others, activities which will not threaten their absolute freedom and mobility. Solitary media will be predominant: the Internet is a one-user medium (television was a family medium). The professions which will cater to the needs of individuals and separate them from society (while maintaining the survival need to communicate) will be the professions of the future: Internet, entertainment (especially customized), telecommunication, singles-related industries (dating and couple matching, for instance, single's bars, to mention another), virtual reality, small businesses which can be run from home, agencies for temporary work placement and other professions catering to the conflicting human needs of being together while being alone. All the other seeming trends are recurrent illusions. Thee have been ages of more or less democracy, more or less market orientation, more or less polarization between rich and poor people. The human race experienced numerous forms of government, of marriage, of economy, of management, of residence, of production, even of trying to predict the future. It was the wisest of all men, King Solomon, who said: "There is nothing new under the sun". True, but it is getting stronger. About The Author Sam Vaknin is the author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" and "After the Rain - How the West Lost the East". He is a columnist in "Central Europe Review", United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. His web site: http://samvak.tripod.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open template $TEMPLATEfilename, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Jobs and the Flow of Fuel We see today a fierce unspoken competition between trucks and trains. It is well known in those industries and with those who ship the products, components, parts, natural resources, produce and event he fuel itself. Victims of Child Support "Similar to Medieval Inquisitions, judges have been given the authority, in secret proceedings.. Double Standards for Regulators? Elliot Spitzer, recently said he wanted to drive a stake through the heart of a founding member of the NY Stock Exchange. Since when is it okay for someone who is an Attorneys General to act out like this? We are seeing more and more abuse of power. Illegal Aliens and Homeland Security; Rants from Lance 2003 Is it just me or are you concerned that illegal aliens were working on a nuclear submarine in San Diego? Is it just me or are you upset that 81,000 people come over the border in Laredo TX every day to shop and from there can go nearly anywhere if they time their travel correctly? Is it just me or are you concerned that we only have our borders secured in one direction, coming into the country? Is it just me or are you concerned about the two houses with tunnels from Mexico to the US with handrails and lighting and cement sides, roof and floor that was just found, but had been there for two decades? At least it was ADA Compliant?We harass our own people yet let things like this go by our so-called enforcement agencies. Government's job as outlined in the Constitution is to protect our people. UAV Targets, Aerial Dog Fights, Interception, Future of War Intelligence The UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is hear to stay and they are rapidly replacing the glory days of the fighter pilot and soon, there will be no humans in military aircraft flying the planes. Here is a quick overview of UAVs and all the new types. Feeling Squeezed by Political Correctness I'm starting to feel squeezed by all the political correctness being imposed on us by both the Left and the Right. Both sides are constantly trying to infringe on our freedoms by telling us what we can and cannot say or do. Protecting Our Buses from International Terrorists We know that the International Terrorists like the idea of attacking buses as we watch every week another attack in Israel. There have many ideas on how buses like Greyhound might protect the drivers through use of a high-tech ultra-strength plastic shields or enclosed see-through boxes. Protecting Children From Porn There's a new Michigan state register (at https://www.protectmichild. Richard Nixon, the truth Richard Nixon was by far a most fascinating and colorful character in our nations history. Richard Nixon, well even his dog's past was checkered. Droughts, Dirty Water and Disease When we go through periods of droughts we also have other problems, which are increased. Things such as West Nile Virus, Bark Beetles, Disease Epidemics, Med Fly and realize these problems which occur during certain weather periods are compounded when the cycles get out of control. Jihad Will Continue The Jihad against the Western World will continue. It will also continue against the Eastern World next. A Need to Review Abortion Laws In Belgium INTRODUCTIONThe aim of writing this article is to encourage the long standing pro-life battle against abortion and protecting the rights of unborn babies to experience life on earth as nature permit it to be. Thousands of unborn babies are being aborted in Belgium by wicked mothers just by convincing the physician with any of those reason covered by the laws of which a woman can abort without facing any criminal charges. Smelter Closures In America Hurt Our Industrial Output The United States is losing its industrial capacity quite rapidly. Some environmentalists call these "old industries" and say we do not need them anymore; that we want clean industries. How Can We Prevent Black Outs and Protect the Grid? The idea is to have all the important items with minimal back-up systems while things are restored. There are so many ideas we have not explored and should explore. Government Franchise Model; taking it virtual Our government is set up like a modern day franchise. Let me explain: the Federal government is the franchisor run by three sets of committees (board of directors of divisions). Wartime Prisoners and the Will to Fight; War is Hell, Let's Win Alright? We learned some lessons in these last few wars. For instance: some of Saddam's Iraqi army personal may have given up or volunteered to give up to slow us down. A Workable Alternative to Term Limits The end of another election once again brings into focus the problem of Washington politicians raising money and running for re-election as soon as they get into office. Many citizens and various government-accountability advocacy groups have done little more than complain from time to time. Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing PolicyFederal Fair Housing accessibility requirements for new multifamily buildings should be written in building code language certified as Fair Housing compliant by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD should be vigilant in compliance education and assistance as is NAHB. The Liberal Solution: Assault a Conservative? Ok, here is what happened: On March 31, 2005, Pat Buchanan, conservative commentator and former presidential candidate, was giving a speech at Western Michigan University when some 24-year-old ding-dong, who apparently did not like what he was hearing, decided the appropriately mature and tolerant behavior would be to attack Mr. Buchanan with a bottle of salad dressing. Liberal Agenda and Communism; Lance Rants If we go hog wild towards the liberal agenda where everything is equal and everything is fair and it does not matter if you produce or not or have any productivity all you're still entitled the same amount of potatoes, then you will find every American in line for said potatoes. Think of this unemployment lines of 2000 as our inability to live within reality as we listen to podium pushers promise us the world of unattainable dreams, of an unreachable utopia for the impossible price of FREE? Oh really since when? Quite frankly it cannot exist without the commitment, integrity and teamwork that built this country in the first place. |
home | site map | contact us |