Disciplined Minds

Who are you going to be? That is the question.

In this riveting book about the world of professional work, Jeff Schmidt demonstrates that the workplace is a battleground for the very identity of the individual, as is graduate school, where professionals are trained. He shows that professional work is inherently political, and that professionals are hired to subordinate their own vision and maintain strict "ideological discipline."

 

The hidden root of much career dissatisfaction, argues Schmidt, is the professional's lack of control over the political component of his or her creative work. Many professionals set out to make a contribution to society and add meaning to their lives. Yet our system of professional education and employment abusively inculcates an acceptance of politically subordinate roles in which professionals typically do not make a significant difference, undermining the creative potential of individuals, organizations and even democracy.

 

Schmidt details the battle one must fight to be an independent thinker and to pursue one's own social vision in today's corporate society. He shows how an honest reassessment of what it really means to be a professional employee can be remarkably liberating. After reading this brutally frank book, no one who works for a living will ever think the same way about his or her job.

 

Contents : Anknowledgements. Author's preface to Indian Edition. Introduction 1. Timid Professionals 2. Ideological Discipline 3. Insiders, Guests and Crashers 4. Assignable Curiosity 5. The Social Significance Concealment Game 6. The Division of Labor 7. Opportunity 8. Narrowing the Political Spectrum 9. The Primacy of Attitude 10. Examining the Examination 11. Gratuitous Bias 12. "Neutral" Voices 13. Subordination 14. Resisting Indoctrination 15. How to Survive Professional Training with your Values Intact 16. Now or Never. Index.

 

Jeff Schmidt was an editor at Physics Today magazine for nineteen years, until he was fired for writing this provocative book.