I mean it sounds like you already have a pretty clear understanding of the issue: Some companies respect Software Engineer/Developer as a distinct and fairly hi

I mean it sounds like you already have a pretty clear understanding of the issue: Some companies respect Software Engineer/Developer as a distinct and fairly high-status role, but some don't. You've discovered that working at the latter kind of company irritates you. Realistically, you're not going to be able to drastically change a particular company's culture, as a self-described non-people-person.