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Max Weber’s Theories on Work Ethic

I am currently working as a Senior Case Manager for a non-profit organization called Safe Horizon, which serves crime victims across New York City. My office specifically works with survivors of domestic violence and I really love working there and what I do.

As I shared in class, my grandparents and parents all worked at ‘blue collar’ jobs, as have many other family members.  The fact that all of my grandparents and parents did not go to college, really pushed them to encourage me to do so.  They felt that a higher education could lead to a better paying job and I would not have to struggle financially as they did sometimes.  They also had good work ethics and were very responsible.  They did not complain about their jobs or having to go to work.  I believe that all of this was passed down to me and how I approach the idea of working and my goals for the future.

In Part 2 of the Introduction of The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber states that modern capitalism has risen out of people being so consumed with making money just for the sake of making it and not to buy things they need to live (Weber, p.xi).  In the sense of people who work in fields that are known to pay well just for the sake of making a lot of money, I certainly do not share that work ethic.  The field I am in, social services, does not often pay very well and is not easy to do unless you really love it and want to help people.

Weber goes on to analyze the origins of capitalism and asses how capitalism related to Protestantism and Catholicism in “Religious Affiliation and Social Stratification”. Weber argued that the religions people followed were based on an individual’s economic status and that wealthier people were more inclined to follow Protestantism and to be supporters of capitalist ideals (Weber, p.4).  Weber further posits that the types of education people chose were those favored by their families and their communities and it was typical for Catholics to learn manual labor and to not prepare to be businessmen, unlike their Protestant counterparts, resulting in Catholics working in lower-paying industries and being less inclined to support capitalism (Weber, p.6).  I do agree with Weber that most people fall into practicing the religion they are born into, which is also usually what is popular in the communities in which they live.  If one’s religion dictates the type of education and job one will have, it can then be said that religion determines economic standing and therefore one’s views on capitalism and even their work ethic.  I agree with this to an extent.  I feel that many people who come from wealthier upbringings who do not  have to work as hard, if at all, to earn money, may have a less stronger work ethic than people who do not come from money and who have to work hard to earn the money that they do get, may have stronger work ethics.  Of course, this is not the case for everyone.

I do see this in my personal experience and work ethic.  I do not come from a wealthy family and have had to work since I was 15.  I was taught to work hard and do well to help ensure my employment and reputation and the money that I earn is needed.  I have also been taught that when one does earn beyond their means, giving it to less fortunate people is the right thing to do.