What's in a Title?

Here, professors and other administration staff are called by their first names. Professors with doctorates do not use the title, even in conjunction with their first name. It makes me very uncomfortable calling a professor by only their first name. In the United States, especially in the south, it would be considered very disrespectful to call someone older than you, or of higher authority, by their first name without their permission. Professors are almost always called by their last name and title unless the student has had a lot of contact with them over an extended period of time.

From what I have heard, Americans who have earned their doctorates prefer to be called by their title of Dr. because they worked so hard to earn it. When I email my professors in the United States I check to make sure I a using the appropriate title. It would be rude and embarrassing to call someone Mr. or Mrs. if he or she is actually a doctor.

So, to avoid that uncomfortable feeling, I simply refrain from using my professors names when speaking to them (which has happened very rarely). I just get their attention by saying, "Excuse me," or starting my question after catching their eye. It has worked pretty well so far.

This lack of formality and emphasis on titles found a juxtaposition in my mind on Sunday night when I applied online for an Oxfordshire library card. It asked for all of the normal information like first name, surname, address, etc., but in the spot for "Title" was an extremely long list of choices. In the United States, drop-down boxes normally hold the titles Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., and perhaps Miss. Most of the time though you type in your title if it is even asked for you to provide it. Just a few of the title choices for the Oxfordshire library are listed below:

Master
Admiral
Brigadier
Bishop
Brother
Canon
Commodore
Count/Countess
Dame
Duke/Duchess
Honorable
Sir
Wing Commander
Field M
Lord/Lady
Baron/Baroness

I was absolutely amazed by the sheer number of title choices. There were selections of social titles, religious titles, and military titles. Do these people all expect to be addressed with their titles in person, or is it just for formal documents? Is it a part of their signature? Perhaps, professors are the only ones who are so informal in an attempt to make students comfortable and show that they are close to being equals. I really have no idea.