OCCUPATIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 4 January 1923, Page 3

OCCUPATIONS.

AVHY ARE THEY CHOSEN?

A writer in the Dearborn Independent discusses what makes a man choose one calling in preference to another. He asks: Is money the chief consideration ? Or is it natural interest, a feeling of special fitness, or a love of humanity ?

Josepfi K. Folson, a graduate student of Columbia University, has attempted to answer these questions by a statistical investigation. He selected the names of 206 distinguished Americans, and prevailed on them to reveal their yocational motives. Then he made similar enquiries of the juniors and seniors of an eastern college. Altogether 423 questionnaires were filled out, and the results probably are typical enough to warrant the attaching of some importance to the conclusions. The eminent men who responded were identified with all the principal professions. Preachers, doctors, lawyers, editors, teachers, chemists, architects, engineers, musicians, and artists were represented. The students expressed preferences for some occupations besides these.

About one-half of both the distinguished men and the students indicated that intrinsic interest in a particular line bore the greatest weight with them. In other words men most often chose the line which they think will give them the largest amount of personal satisfaction. One significant thing about the answers was that the results from both groups tallied pretty closely. Natural liking for their actual or intended occupation or the prospect of deriving satisfaction from it was most numerously indicated as a motive by farmers, musicians and artists. Musicians do not play for money, nor do artists paint for dollars primarily; 90 per cent of them are dominated by sheer love of their work. Sixty per cent of the technical men also were predisposed to their callings by interest.

It is only the rare individual who chooses his work because he displays an outstanding fitness for it. Only two per cent of the "Who's Who" crowd and seven per cent cf the students in-

dicated this as a reason for their choice.

Money was the first consideration with eight per cent of the eminent men and five per cent of the students. Perhaps the difference between the two groups on this point shows that older men are more practical and frank than their juniors. Youths are more often given to idealistic impulses.

The opportunity motive, "there's a big field for this work to-day," was strongest in evidence with technical men. "Like father, like son," did not seem'to be borne strongly by the in- 1 vestigation. Doctors sons seemed more?] inclined to follow in their fathers' footsteps than was true in any other profession.

The results are indicated in the following table. Altruistic ideals and the snirit of service are called moral motives below; pressure by parents or relatives is referred to as influence or tradition ;■ where there is a lack of interest in any one tiling or an occupation is the last resort, the term elimination is need. Figures are in terms of percentages.

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Himmeivc Motives. Men Students. Intrinsic interest 47.3 ... 45.9 Satisfaction not intrinsic 13.1 ... 18.41 Moral motives 8.6... 9.2' Fitness 2.1 ... 7.1' Ooportunity 7.1 ... 8.5 Money 8.2 ... 5.4 Tnfrnenoe or tradition ... 5.6 ... 4.3 Elimination 8.0 ... 1.2