27th October 2009, 11:22 AM
windbag Wrote:I'm also dismayed that mesvik's comment sat there without response for 3 days. What's wrong with everyone?
I was surprised too - I was going to say something but thought 'someone else is bound to and I haven't got time at the moment'.
I think the article highlights several things, but not that reverse sexism is prevelent in archaeology. For one thing it suggests that in other sectors 5 years is considered quite a lot of experience - how many people end up working in archaeology for ten years without being able to progress beyond supervisor? It also shows the sort of salary one can perhaps expect with that amount of experience in other areas of employment - thus highlighting how low archaeologists salaries are.
In terms of sexism, how many women in archaeology find themselves being directed, intentionally or otherwise, into finds, post-ex, admin type jobs compared to men?
As for being middle class, I think I've maybe come across 2 people in archaeology who might possibily have considered themselves to be anything other than middle class (depending on how you define it, and I haven't worked with that many people in the grand scheme of things) and I doubt that it is much of an issue. As far as I'm concerned archaeology is a middle class profession - the fact that it doesn't pay well and you get muddy for a living doesn't make it working class.