You ever watch those futuristic movies? The ones that have all the people - well the working class folks, anyway - wearing uniforms? They are usually the same style but would have one thing to denote rank (importance level). Like that show that had the captain that was a player...basic requirement was sexy, female (species not important)? No I'm serious...recall one episode where he was gettin' it on with a "woman" that was green. This show also had this guy with really pointy ears... Yeah so on that show the characters all wore the same spandex-like uniforms but they were different colors. Easy to see at a glance the rank/group of an individual crew member from a distance. Once you got closer you could see their insignia.
I say all this to say I noticed this same sort of "grouping" structure in today's world. And like most things, it got me to thinking about it, doing some observational research about it and then to writing about it...
Health System: Took a quick trip over to a hospital a couple counties over. Here, scrubs seem to be the norm and yes they have all different sorts of colors. Even color differences within the same work type - Nurses in one clinic/specialty wear different color scrubs from those in other areas. Surgeons are in green with their white lab coats. Environmental Services are in black. Food Services in gray. Patient Transporters are in blue. Maintenance workers are in khaki.
So many different jobs and so many different uniforms that mean so many different things. Let's us know who they are and who to direct which questions to. But does it do anything else? Does it create a sense of belonging? Unity?
For example in the police department, there are uniformed officers who work a "beat" (is that even right anymore? do they still call it that?) These are the officers that pull you over for expired tags, speeding, running red lights, DUI (yeah, try not to do ANY of these things). I'm guessing this is for us - the citizens - so we will know these are legit law enforcement officers that are ruining your day - I mean pulling you over. Now Detectives, the ones who investigate serious crimes, become detectives after being promoted from within the uniform ranks. Does this breed any division in the department? Do these divisions/distinctions band together against one another?
Uniforms basically tell you where you belong, what group you are a part of. Tells everyone who you are, what you do, what you are permitted to do. They might even give a good indication of your salary, length of service, age...
This "uniformity" also tells the person wearing them where THEY belong...separates people into groups, ranks, levels of importance. Ultimately - this might go a long way towards how people approach you, how people treat you. Sure, it might be subconsciously, but it probably plays a role.
I say all this to say I noticed this same sort of "grouping" structure in today's world. And like most things, it got me to thinking about it, doing some observational research about it and then to writing about it...
Health System: Took a quick trip over to a hospital a couple counties over. Here, scrubs seem to be the norm and yes they have all different sorts of colors. Even color differences within the same work type - Nurses in one clinic/specialty wear different color scrubs from those in other areas. Surgeons are in green with their white lab coats. Environmental Services are in black. Food Services in gray. Patient Transporters are in blue. Maintenance workers are in khaki.
So many different jobs and so many different uniforms that mean so many different things. Let's us know who they are and who to direct which questions to. But does it do anything else? Does it create a sense of belonging? Unity?
For example in the police department, there are uniformed officers who work a "beat" (is that even right anymore? do they still call it that?) These are the officers that pull you over for expired tags, speeding, running red lights, DUI (yeah, try not to do ANY of these things). I'm guessing this is for us - the citizens - so we will know these are legit law enforcement officers that are ruining your day - I mean pulling you over. Now Detectives, the ones who investigate serious crimes, become detectives after being promoted from within the uniform ranks. Does this breed any division in the department? Do these divisions/distinctions band together against one another?
Uniforms basically tell you where you belong, what group you are a part of. Tells everyone who you are, what you do, what you are permitted to do. They might even give a good indication of your salary, length of service, age...
This "uniformity" also tells the person wearing them where THEY belong...separates people into groups, ranks, levels of importance. Ultimately - this might go a long way towards how people approach you, how people treat you. Sure, it might be subconsciously, but it probably plays a role.
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