On who looks like a professor
By William R. Jones
Recently, I read Julia Metraux's article, “Who Looks Like a Professor?” which she wrote eight months ago. Immediately, upon reading the headline, in my mind's eye, I began to visualize former professors whose classes I attended in my school days. I imagined and contrived the appearance I preferred to stereotype. My now personal discerning and comparative mental picture may, perhaps, be oversimplified and irrational, however, it comes with much more experience and maturity as opposed to the young head on my shoulders during my freshman days.
After reading the article, I understood that the thrust was centered on the preconceived images that first-time college students have when they enter classrooms. It explored the preconceptions perpetuated by popular films. Film stereotypes often suggested the influential impact of classroom interactions.
Metraux's writing guides us to her primary resource, “Race, Gender, and Research: Implications for Teaching from Depictions of Professors in Popular Film, 1985-2005,” by social psychologists Dagaz and Harger.
Acute in your perception and sound in your judgment, you immediately see there are strong cultural implications and parameters. For example, I only did see and remember well 3 (12.5 percent) of the 48 popular films that the researchers reviewed. All were American Hollywood films.
I know not if there has been additional research or surveys done. Perhaps the authors were under time constraints. Publishers did not want it perfect, they wanted it by a deadline. In spite of that, the authors admitted that their appendix list of films was not exhaustive.
Now here's the thing: how does one conceive of what a professor looks like? The researchers only considered Hollywood depictions, which were limited in gender and race. One minority exception ― severely underrepresented ― that Metraux mentioned was Sandra Oh, a Korean Canadian transplanted to America. She starred as the chairperson of an English Department at fictional Pembroke University (in “The Chair” comedy released on Netflix).
Clear American markers of a professor's semblance and professoriate status seem to be one's style of dress, sometimes a conservative suit and tie (tweed jackets and bowties), including hairstyle and facial hair. Accessories may include eyewear, briefcases, pocket protectors and textbooks as well, and one recent propensity that I've noticed at my university: certain profs walk about with their laptops open and on as though they are carrying a tray of food.
Anyway, I emphasize that the above-mentioned markers are sure to differ from country to country. And besides, it is not the looks but the teaching skills and competence that one should be concerned with, but how would a frosh know that? Since professors produce other professors, we would fare better to ask them who looks like a professor.
I like what P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar said: “I least believe in my looks as a professor; I utmost believe in my profession as a professor.”
Nevertheless, my conception of a professor would be that of aged Harvard professor character Charles W. Kingsfeld, Jr. whose bearing and no-nonsense demeanor was masterful and imperious with his unrelenting Socratic method on his students (in the 1973 movie, “The Paper Chase”).
Notwithstanding, as one not privy to any special information, my close friend's answer to the question, “Who looks like a professor?” was unexpected and universal: “Anyone.”
The author (wrjones@vsu.edu) published the novella, "Beyond Harvard," and presently teaches English as a second language.