Which do you prefer: A White Collar vs. Blue Collar

[it_comes_naturally]

white collar w/blue collar swag...

 

[MissJ]

White collar, and it depends on what you classify as "blue collar."

 

[Highly Favored8]

white collar w/blue collar swag...

Cool .

 

[JollyGal]

White Collar lover here.

I'm a city girl through and through

I have never dated a blue collar worker because they usually do not approach me... or I am not attracted to them.

Having said that, God knows what my future will bring.

A blue collar man could be a carpenter by trade but have his own company/ business but in my mind that would make him white collar... i think

 

[phynestone]

Definitely white collar, but I have more blue collared men that approach me. It never seems to work out.

 

[MissJ]

Same reason blue collar seems to get equated with being uneducated and ignorant. Not sure why.

My father for example: people seem to look down at him after finding out he's an electrician. What they don't know is, he is very intelligent, can wire up an entire city on his own (seriously), and makes WELLLLL into 6 figures.

Anyway...blue collar for me.

Your daddy sounds like mine. I consider him to be blue collar. I don't think he really gets his hands dirty at work, but he supervises the guys who keep the lights on in Georgia. He also has his own business when not just his hands but everything gets dirty. I think he likes playing in the dirt.

I asked what was classified as blue collar, because I know people who don't wear a shirt and tie to work but they're not exactly working for the city on a trash truck. The guy I was interested in before I moved owns his own business. No, he is not as educated as I am, but I found him incredibly attractive. He's young, an entreprenuer, and his business is doing well. He does have to get his hands dirty at times, because if no one else is going to do something, he has to do it. If that's blue collar, I wouldn't mind dating or even marrying a man like that.

 

[nathansgirl1908]

I prefer white collar men. I tend to have more in common with them and as others have said they tend to be more intellectual.


However, it appears that according to Tyler Perry plays and movies, as a Black woman I need to stop being so "uppity" and get a blue collar man.

 

[MD_Lady]

I only dated white collar men, but would have been okay with a blue collar man AS LONG AS he was secure/didn't have an issue with the different paths our lives had taken (in addition to having all of the other traits I was seeking in a mate).

 

[MD_Lady]

Sounds like you dropped the H-bomb on them!

You bring up another point that is constantly overlooked in these discussions (not this one in particular). There are many degreed black women who would be open to dating a blue-collar black man, but HE is often the one that has a problem with the education gap.

Not all, obviously, but enough do for it to be a problem.

When someone asked me about dating blue collar men (when I was single), THIS was my number one concern. I take pride and do not apologize for my accomplishments, but I also don't think I'm "better" than others because of the path my life has taken. As unfair as it may have been, I felt that a blue collar man projecting his insecurities (especially given the general negativity directed towards BW who've achieved a certain level of education and occupational success) would have been a MAJOR problem.

 

[cheetarah1980]

I prefer white collar men. I tend to have more in common with them and as others have said they tend to be more intellectual.


However, it appears that according to Tyler Perry plays and movies, as a Black woman I need to stop being so "uppity" and get a blue collar man.

And that right there is the biggest reason I hate Tyler Perry's movies and plays (those that I've seen because they're so awful I can't sit through too much of that mess). I find it interesting that he never portrays the insecure, bitter blue collar boyfriend/husband of an educated professional woman.

I will take this even one step further. I've noticed that many men whether blue collar or not have an issue when their woman has supposedly achieved more than them. I remember my father being less than supportive about my mother going back to school (part-time at that) to get a second masters in educational administration, even though he himself had attained a masters as well. One man I dated briefly constantly had to remind me of my Ivy League degree whenever I'd have a "blonde" moment in spite of the fact that he had both his undergrad and masters degrees from a well known college that just didn't happen to be an Ivy. Even when a man is an educated professional it doesn't mean that he wants his woman being a little bit more educated and professional than he is.

 

[Syrah]

I'm indifferent. Forget what he's motivated and ambitious about, as long as he's motivated and ambitious. College ain't for everyone and all college educations and degrees are not created equal.

I like engineers - white collar men with blue collar mentalities - lord knows an engineer wants nothing more in life than to roll up his sleeves and get dirty! I guess I like men who create things - whether they be products, or software applications or electricity or buildings - the ability to create. To sit and think of something in your head and then actually have the brain power to turn it into something. The ability to translate idea into prototype. That's sexy to me. Howard Roark from Atlas Shrugged? Sexy!

Men who push paper around a desk all day - in my fantasies, they just aren't as sexy.

(Yes, I realize, Engineers are white collar men).

 

[blkbeauty]

I hear that too blue collar = poor mans job.

That simply isn't the case. A blue collar man can also be an entreprenuer. I will say I prefer a man who has a businessmind-set. Being a business-owner.

Exacly. I was thinking the same thing. Let's clearly define Blue and White Collar! Is it on the terms of social class vs. social culture?

If that is the case, I am married to what many would call a "blue-collar" man. However, he makes a very comfortable salary and is a "professional" in his career.

 

[Syrah]

Exacly. I was thinking the same thing. Let's clearly define Blue and White Collar! Is it on the terms of social class vs. social culture?

If that is the case, I am married to what many would call a "blue-collar" man. However, he makes a very comfortable salary and is a "professional" in his career.

Agreed. People are making some bad income assumptions about blue collar men, not realizing that many blue collar jobs require education (for example the plumbing journeymen program is 5 years long in California) and benefit from union collective bargaining which limits MINIMUM salaries.

Blue Collar - Union (typically action jobs)
White Collar - Non Union (typically desk jobs)

Blue Collar jobs in my opinion: Electricians, Plumbers, Longshoreman, Offshore Drillers, Pilots (yep, no college education required), different maritime pursuits (fishing, crabbing, lobstering etc), Firemen. Police Officers? I dunno.

The architect who designs the plans? White collar.
The contractor who builds the plans? Blue collar.

 

[blkbeauty]

I'm indifferent. Forget what he's motivated and ambitious about, as long as he's motivated and ambitious. College ain't for everyone and all college educations and degrees are not created equal.

I like engineers - white collar men with blue collar mentalities - lord knows an engineer wants nothing more in life than to roll up his sleeves and get dirty! I guess I like men who create things - whether they be products, or software applications or electricity or buildings - the ability to create. To sit and think of something in your head and then actually have the brain power to turn it into something. The ability to translate idea into prototype. That's sexy to me.

Men who push paper around a desk all day - in my fantasies, they just aren't as sexy.

Exactly...my Dh is a body mechanic, owns his own shop and have people working for him. He makes excellent money, where if I decided to end my career and drop out of the Master's program I am seeking - we will be fine. He also is very intelliegent, culturally he is open and rounded, artistically/socially - he is very interesting as he pursues and/or is involved in many public, political and or social events, topics or issues that is for a good cause....

Its too bad that by "labeling" many would miss all these good traits about him, since generally these things are commonly tied to (on the surface) "white collar" men.

 

[glamazon386]

As long as the bills get paid, there's enough money for us to do what we want, and we can hold an intellectually stimulating conversation it doesn't matter to me. I've dated both and I've come to the conclusion that men are men. There are white collar guys out here that are lazy and blue collar men who are full of ambition.

In my experience most of the white collar guys I dated acted like they were God's gift to black women because they were scarce. I don't do pompous jerks regardless of the occupation. And all blue collar men are not uneducated and unmotivated. My dad was a blue collar worker for the first 10 years of my life. He then decided to go to technical school and pursue a career in IT. Either way, I was always well taken care of by my parents. As long as we can do that for our children, then it's all good.

ETA: And what's with the blue collar men not having education. Trades require education and training too.

 

[goldielocs]

Before I got married, I dated mostly white collar. I never really gave it much thought because I just dated people I met in college. My DH is the only blue collar man I dated and we hit it off very well. He's a diesel mechanic and former military man. We are also from the same home town. I admit, I like the rough hands, the skill to fix things, the muscle definition without having to workout at the gym...

I don't really have anything negative to say about white collar men. I just didn't have a successful relationship with one even though I have a white collar job.

 

[mzcris]

As long as he is WORKING and have BENEFITS that's all that matters...LOL (seriously)

 

[asubeauty]

Shoot, as long as he wears a collar....

As long as the bills get paid, there's enough money for us to do what we want, and we can hold an intellectually stimulating conversation it doesn't matter to me. I've dated both and I've come to the conclusion that men are men. There are white collar guys out here that are lazy and blue collar men who are full of ambition.

In my experience most of the white collar guys I dated acted like they were God's gift to black women because they were scarce. I don't do pompous jerks regardless of the occupation. And all blue collar men are not uneducated and unmotivated. My dad was a blue collar worker for the first 10 years of my life. He then decided to go to technical school and pursue a career in IT. Either way, I was always well taken care of by my parents. As long as we can do that for our children, then it's all good.

ETA: And what's with the blue collar men not having education. Trades require education and training too.

I totally agree.

 

[pisceschica]

As long as they have a CAREER with a clear path to upward mobility, I have no real prefernce. I have seen some blue collar workers that make more than white collar.

Also I guess it's how you define it. I don't want one of those corporate types that wears suits and ties to work. I'm more into the engineer/IT type, that to me, seem more laid baco.

 

[drkc01]

I prefer a working responsible man who loves and cherishes me. It is not about how much money you make but how well you manage the money you have. I have dated both but I am married to a blue collar. We have two luxury cars, a beautiful home, a timeshare, good credit, savings, and I can go shopping whenever I want. ( Not bragging just putting it out there that you can have the things you want if you manage your money right)

 

[*CherryPie*]

I don't care either way, as long as he's not a Plumber, or a janitor, or something like that.

It's not that i'm prejudice against them, but my OCDs just won't let me allow them to touch me without me thinking that they handle toilets and other nasty stuff in some kinda way.

I'm sorry, but it's personal.