Professional Devotee Work

Abstract

Professional work has great allure. Some of it is alluring because it is widely seen as prestigious, well paying, and intensely interesting. Here is the best of all occupational worlds. Other such work, however, is just as alluring, even though some of it is less prestigious, pays less well, but is nonetheless also intensely interesting. Law and medicine are archetypical examples of the first. Famous painters, musicians, and writers exemplify the second; they have high prestige, intensely interesting work, but in most cases poorer remuneration. Nevertheless, many in this second group, though they have intensely interesting work, are comparatively weakly paid and have more ordinary public regard. Thus, for every celebrated painter or writer, there are hundreds of more ordinary counterparts. The latter make a modest living at their art, keep body and soul together by supplementary employment, or are helped by the greater earnings of an employed spouse or partner (see also Gutting, 2013). They are part-time professionals (see later). And there are at least as many amateurs, some of whom are of professional quality.