However, professors were historically from the gentry. It was always a position of status and privilege, especially before World War 2. It was only when the dem

However, professors were historically from the gentry. It was always a position of status and privilege, especially before World War 2. It was only when the demand for higher education surged (largely by the GI bill but also by the computer revolution that created the white collar jobs today) that this changed. Further, the amount of published research has also exploded as the supply of qualified applicants has surged. That said, I think eventually the journals problem will solve itself - people inside academia are trying to figure a way out already.