Though I have only recently begun thinking about the
cultural and structural systems of work in America, I’ve long thought that the
cultural and structural systems of schooling are deeply problematic and
unhealthy. Work for its own sake is
unhealthily glorified in the US. I think
that this may come from the culture of the Puritans and others who first
settled America. The narrative is that
work is virtuous, and that it will lead to the American Dream. In the Puritans’ situation this made sense;
they were trying to farm and settle a new land, and their work enabled their
endeavor to succeed. However, this value
of work ethic has morphed into something different in the current age.
Work is necessary for many things to happen – for us to
obtain food and shelter, to educate young people, and many other things. But viewing work as a virtue for its own sake
leads to a society where people devalue their health, relationships,
well-being, and communities, and instead through themselves into work that may
or may not need to actually be done. I
am not saying that we should be lazy and sit around watching TV all day – I think
that would be very detrimental both to individuals and society. Humans certainly should be doing things – and
thinking and creating – but work as it is currently structured is probably not
the best way. Ironically, people are so
overworked that when they finally have a moment of free time, they often only
have the energy to sit and watch TV.
The phrase “free time” itself should alert us to the
destructive and problematic nature of our current work structure. Shouldn’t all of our time be “free?” Who owns this time of ours? And why are we okay with them owning it?
We are taught that work must be this way, and that it is
somewhat expected that one will not particularly enjoy one’s work, but that the work must be done in order to
obtain money for food, clothing, shelter, and entertainment. But what if there were a different way to
obtain these things? Maybe not Marxist
communism, exactly, but some form of restructuring so that people had access to
what they need and want in life, and freedom to pursue what they enjoy and feel
is worthwhile, without the having to match one’s interests with the tasks that
those who already have money value.
From what I have seen, it seems that most Americans,
regardless of place on the socioeconomic scale, are struggling
financially. Even families with high
incomes and large houses are struggling to make ends meet, because of increased
expenditures such as university education and mortgages. Why is this the case? Are people compelled to spend so much that
they are on always on the brink, regardless of how much money they have? If so, is someone or something deliberately
compelling them or has it happened by chance?
Either way, there is something clearly problematic about this. In addition, it means that people are under
constant stress, both in striving to make ends meet and in ensuring that they
continue to do well in their jobs, because otherwise, their family will be in a
lot of financial trouble.
I think we need to change the way work is structured,
because I think there are better, healthier, and more meaningful ways for
people to contribute to our world than the way we currently structure work.
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