De-Professionalization

Causal Effect Analysis: De-Professionalization of the Architect

by Professor Umber Hanlon, ABA Atlas

May 13, 2018

Adroit School of Architecture, Sacramento

Abstract

Through an inductive analysis of architecture commencement speeches, this study reveals that architecture school curricula in the US focuses on development of spatial problem solving skills which can be interpreted as art. Graduates are expected to acquire the remaining entry level skills through on the job training as interns. Such extreme lack of qualifications for licensure creates a prolonged gap between graduation and licensure leading to low morale among architecture graduates. Meanwhile, the public perception of architects as artists is stratified. This causal-effect study focuses on the degradation of the architect’s skills that has led to de-professionalization of the architect.

Keywords: Visual-Spatial Intelligence, Sheepskin Effect, Imposter Syndrome, Social Stratification, causal effect, licensing, accreditation, architecture education, state board of examiners, government monopoly, anti-trust, architecture schools, NCARB, NAAB, AIA, ACSA, ABA.

Research Approach

This section of the study examines the transcripts of five individual graduation commencement speeches delivered at various schools of architecture throughout the United States from 2008 through 2017. The speeches are selected through convenience sampling of external documents due to scarcity of available data. Various excerpts from the speeches serve as empirical evidence for this study. Such data is labeled S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5 where each label corresponds to the five individual speakers. The intent of the qualitative analysis conducted in this section is to establish a set of grounded theories in correlation with two major themes. The themes identified support the following causal-effect case study: Architecture schools are insufficiently training graduates to enter the profession (cause) leading to deprofessionalization of the profession (effect). Two situational themes emerged from inductive analysis the five speech transcripts: Skills Acquired in School and Architect’s Societal Role. Each of these themes, with respective sub-themes, and correlated theories, are listed below in Table 1. Theories will be addressed in a later section where triangulation with peer reviewed literature and additional external documents will further support the case study.

Skills Acquired in School

Each of the five commencement speakers spoke to graduates about the importance of the creative skills they have acquired through schooling. While, three of the speakers glossed over the marketability of architecture graduates, just two spoke of employment prospects in the professional field that the graduates are about to enter. None of the speakers used the title ‘intern’ in their speeches to describe the upcoming future of the graduates.

Creative Problem Solving. All five of the speakers commended the graduates on successful acquisition of visual problem solving skills. Three of the speakers focused on the uniqueness of such professional skills in comparison to any other professional field, while one went into depth with the neurological transformation the students most likely experienced as they developed creative skills throughout their schooling years. Another speaker, on the other hand, was dismissive of schooling altogether and insisted, instead, that learning begins upon entering the work force. To iterate this point, the speaker warns the graduates to be aware that they lack such crucial skills that even they cannot fathom.

S1: You have finished your coursework and you have finished your studios. So now your education can begin. I say that not to disparage or to question anything you have been doing over the last few years, but just to acknowledge what has been the reality of almost everyone’s life. Which is that you learn all kinds of things in your next few years that you never imagined or that you never knew that you didn’t know.

S5: I suspect, the people getting diplomas in those other tents on this campus do not have … experience in dismantling a problem, turning it upside down or inside out, redesigning it, and in essence rethinking the fundamental basis for its being. They do not know how to view old never ending world problems from unique angles. They can’t produce under tremendous pressure like you can. You have these skills.

Gainful Employment. Employment prospects are directly addressed by just two of the five speakers. Out of these two, one acknowledges that architecture is an underpaid field involving an exhaustive amount of energy, while the other, focuses on the lack of leadership prospects for creative people.

S1: There will be days when you will wonder why you became an architect…a career that pays relatively little, demands a huge amount from you, and allows you only occasionally the creative license that got you into it in the first place. You are sitting there working on details for bathroom hinges and door knobs in a building you had no creative input on. And you don’t think that much of it anyway and you ask yourself, “Why did you get into this?”; well we know it wasn’t to get rich.

S2: You are the least likely people to be called upon to become leaders of anything ever other than your own creative process; unfortunately, I’m not kidding. You are entering a world that has a deep seated bias against creative people in positions of leadership… In fact, there are more fortune 500 companies led by those with no degree than those with a creative degree.

Architect’s Role

All five commencement speakers spoke of preservation of self-identity and the perception of architect’s role in society. Three of the speakers pressed that architects are an essential component of society, one speaker offered a critical perspective on the dismal social value of architects, and yet another one criticized architects for being ignorant of societal values.

Self-Identity. The speakers warned against the loss of self-identity after schooling. One speakers referred to incubation of identity during schooling to protect from exposure against external criticism. The rest offered some advice on methods of identity preservation.

S2: You will go to work and they will marginalize you. Don’t take the bait. Don’t put those limits on yourselves. Don’t hide behind your creativity. And don’t spend your whole life in the creative club house. Because all of the really big decisions, the ones that have an impact on your ability to do something great are being made without your voice.

S4: I can report to you in my 40-years as an architect that if you can hold on to your identity, this identity in the middle of forming at this moment, it will give you immeasurable pleasure. As you emerge from this protected environment, carry with you that everything is possible. Let it inform all of your future pursuits. Understand architecture as a social art form and its ability to shape behavior at a both public and private level.

Societal Perception. One of the speakers acknowledged that although architects possess unique skills that capture social curiosity, their shear lack of respect for social values leads to a poor societal perception of the profession. The speaker continued to offer a single antidote to improving societal perception of architects; he urged the graduates to exercise sensitivity to social needs. But off course, it’s unlikely that the graduates received specific training or are even be able define such societal needs. Another speaker impressed that architecture is merely art, therefore, society does not perceive architects as a necessary part of the building industry. The other three offered inspirational words on the topic.

S1: Things don’t work out. Jobs are lost. Contractors are horrible. Clients fight with you. Zoning and planning boards harass you. And building departments stifle you. And if you reach the point that your work attracts the attention of critics, they may misunderstand you. At least you will think they do and that will only make you more frustrated. I know better in that I know that the critics are almost always right.

S3: You possess a certain,… talent that is unique to our species. And if you were to rank this talent among members of our species in general, I have no doubt you would all be in the top 1% of 1%. We're at a moment in history where the world is paying attention to you like never before. Like few other people on earth, you have the skills and the resources to truly change the world…an architect’s exhilarating freedom to abandon all traditional architectural rules, and impose their own vision on society…they didn't always win the world's love.

Summary

In conclusion to this section, Findings reveal that architecture graduates have a unique talent that world is aware of, yet public perception and self-identity of graduates suffers as the architects are consistently compared to artists. Graduates lack basic knowledge and skills to function as an effective member of the professional society. The next section will introduce several grounded theories that were mentioned earlier.

Discussion

The Interpretation of Findings below will include literature review for each of the following grounded theories: (a) Visual-Spatial Intelligence; (b) Sheepskin Effect; (c) Imposter Syndrome; and (d) SocialStratification. The section will conclude with Policy and Research.

Interpretation of Findings

Key Finding: Architecture schools are focused on development of spacial problem solving skills. Graduates from these programs experience self-doubt upon realizing that they lack basic skills and qualifications for entry into the profession. Meanwhile, societal perception of the architect as artists is stratified.

Visual-Spatial Intelligence is one of eight cognitive Multiple Intelligences identified by Howard Gardner that humans possess. The development of spatial intelligence is the primary curricular subject of architecture schools. In accordance with the speech samples, architecture students must complete extensive, and often repetitive, spatial problem solving exercises during design studio courses. Such studio-based curricula in architecture schools directly correlates with Cary’s ascertain that spatial intelligence is a natural biological potential that develops through experimentation; hence architects in comparison to other professionals have a heightened inclination to tap into this potential (Cary, 2004). However, architecture degrees do not carry the same weight when matched with other major professions (BLS, 2016).

The sheepskin effect asserts that degree holders send positive signals to prospective employers of potential skillsets that will likely yield a more productive workforce in comparison with those not holding a degree (Lovenheim & Turner, 2017). This theory contradicts the assertions made by at least one of the commencement speakers that individuals possessing leadership skills even without a degree can out rank architecture graduates; thus, the sheepskin effect may be weakened for architecture graduates. Over time, employers have learned that new graduates offer few skills needed for a productive workforce.

Architecture, perhaps, is the only professional field to confidently utilize the title of ‘intern’ for graduates until they achieve licensure. The sole path to licensure can take up to seven additional years after graduation (NCARB, 2017). Such lack of professional recognition is essentially a form of rejection by the profession. This prolonged rejection coupled with lack of qualifications to sit for licensing exams and the inability to pass those exams after qualifications are achieved leads to the Imposter Syndrome. The commencement speakers highlight self-doubt as a common occurrence in architecture graduates. Gasalberti advises that graduates exercise patience as they emerge into professional roles (Gasalberti, 2014). Unfortunately, for architects this long road leads to Social Stratification.

According to Johnson, Social Stratification is a natural societal process where individual skills lead to social differentiation. Architecture graduates are entering the professional society with a set of creative skills. Such skills are interpreted in modern society to hold a low compensatory value; thus, architecture graduates fall prey to social inequality that exists between various professions. The longer an architect graduate is associated with an intern title, and its associated skillsets, the more deeply rooted this social inequality becomes. Societal perception of architects as mere artists who are incompetent in the basic skills needed to serve the society or the profession is stratified (Johnson, 2013). One of the commencement speakers targets this issue by systematically enumerating the potential arguments the graduate will experience with various other industry professionals such as contractors, code compliance officers, clients, and architectural critics. In doing so the speaker is essentially priming the graduates to be prepared for lack of societal respect they will experience in the near future.

This concludes the Interpretation of Findings. The next section includes recommendations for prospective policy and research as the next logical step to correct the deficiencies in the architecture profession.

Recommendations

Policy. Here is my recommendation for systematic policy changes: (a) a competitive accreditation process with federal oversight must be introduced in to architecture schools. Only through competition; hence innovation, can destratification of curricula occur; (b) ethics must be placed at the forefront of all public policy decisions. For this, removal of the exam vendor, accreditation body, and their affiliate organization from public office is essential (NCARB, 2009). Furthermore, policy revisions must outlaw state sponsored monopolization of architecture by any private groups. Licensure must become a state affair for the professionals by the professionals of each state; (c) federal funding must be allocated to encourage doctorate level research in architecture schools. Architecture must be listed as a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degree on the federal roster; and (d) focus must be given to reprofessionalization of the architecture industry. Policy must be put into place at a state level to hold architecture schools accountable for graduating reasonably qualified and skilled architects, not artists or interns. Architecture graduate must be accepted into the profession with open arms upon acceptance in to a degree program. Internship titles must be only be used concurrently with a collegiate setting. Institution must revise their curriculum in consultation with educators trained specifically in the licensure process of the decade to ensure all facets of the profession are addressed not just once but in a repetitive manner throughout the curriculum. Graduates must graduate as licensed architects. Licensure Upon GraduationTM (L.U.G.) must become the norm for architecture schools (Adroit, 2012).

Research. Extensive research on other cognitive intelligence types identified by Gardner, besides spatial intelligence must be conducted to identify other dominant intelligence types present in architecture students, if any. Such research should guide the development of thought-based architecture curricula in place of art-based curricula that currently exists. Causal effect analysis of such curricular revision should be conducted through predictive models to ensure re-professionalization of the architecture profession on an ongoing basis. For architects to thrive once again, public perception of architecture must shift away from pure art and veer towards building science. After a century of suppression, it is time for action and progress. I am asking you; the master architects, the critics, the educators to join me in this goal.

References

Cary, R. (2004). Chapter 5: Howard Gardner’s theory of visual-spatial intelligence: a critical retheorizing. Counterpoints, 278, 84-118. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42979283

Gasalberti, D. (2014). Developing a professional self-confidence to last a lifetime. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 10(8), 630-631.

Johnson, L. (2013). Social Stratification. Biblical Theology Bulletin, 43(3), 155-168.

Hanlon, A. (2012). Adroit academic catalog. Sacramento, CA: Adroit School of Architecture.

Lovenheim, M., & Turner, S. (2017). Economics of education [Kindle version]. Retrieved from amazon.com

National Council of Architecture Boards. (2009). NCARB roster. Washington, DC: Author.

National Council of Architecture Boards. (2017). NCARB by the numbers. Washington, DC: Author.