Bratomania!: Sociology of Law Professors, Part 17

Many blogs ago in this series of sociological observations, I noted that that in 30+ years I have only heard a law professor apologize twice. There has now been a third occasion but I don't thing it was serious enough for an apology. Oh, wait, in a way maybe that is why it was forthcoming. In any case, they do not apologize because in their minds whatever they do is explainable and apologies are a sign of weakness (real ones, that is).   People with a sense of entitlement never, never apologize.

Something else I realize now is they abhor transparency. This is all tied up with the asking/not asking distinction which is very much class determined. Here is very old example, A working class kid from a state school through some miracle gets an offer to teach and is told there will be a $2000 moving allowance. In the very same hiring season child of privilege gets the offer and the same moving allowance. The working class kid's reaction: Holy mackerel, they  are going to pay my moving expenses. The entitled kid immediate contacts the school and says; "I cannot not possible move for that. I need several thousand more." Ok,  that is a true story and I see it repeated among facutly, students and other people all the time.

The non privileged  ones do not quibble over teaching assignments, hours taught, or side deals. They have never been in a world in which people are so important, in their minds, that they are given special consideration. They are as one friend described it "suckers" and another "dopes." The privileged ones on the other hand want more money, more travel money, more secretarial help, and to  teach exactly what they want to teach when the want to teach it. They have ways to justify the most outlandish demands and deans typically cave in, especially who mistakenly view surviving as and indicator of success. .

Put there is one more ingredient, They know that what they ask for can not be for everyone so they ask and receive privately. Their view on administrative decision making  is not more or less transparency. It is more transparency for everyone else and no transparency when it comes to them, It's got to be that way.

Isn't this just the way American works. Some people have actually bought into the notion of fairness and that equal production means equal treatment. It is no mistake that these are the least well off people.  Others know to ask in a manner that suggest there is only one answer -- Yes. To make matters worse, there is no balance on Law Faculty. The askers/demanders out number worker bees  by 10 to 1.

I do not think this is hard wired. It must have been learned first from parents and then from teachers.  Wouldn't be fun to find the parents of each one of the brats and tell them their precious little brat is a greedy pig with a sense of entitlement.