å October 2016

Studs Terkel’s interviews numerous people to try to get to the meaning of work. Throughout theses countless interviews he tries to demonstrate that there is more to work than just a means to making a buck. To some individuals, they seem to just go through the motions of working from 9 to 5 from Monday through Friday. As to others they have manage to find some kind of meaning to their jobs. He gives us numerous examples but the ones that I found most profound were the fire fighter and the banker, who he used at the end of the introduction. The Fireman puts his life in danger every time he steps into a burning building, but manages to find a great deal of meaning and satisfaction in what he does. Versus the banker, who sees his job as not having any real worth, he just sees it as working with paper that is not real to him.

Studs Terkel found that some people were looked down and were judged simply because of the jobs that they held. As some individuals need to find some self worth in their jobs and the need to belong to “human community.” They find that they need to give their jobs deeper meaningful names. As janitors, are usually also known as building engineers (1972: XX). Just because they changed the names of their jobs, doesn’t mean that they didn’t like their jobs, they just needed to feel like they belong and worthy of their peers.

As working adults, I’m sure some of us are still striving to find “our dream job”. But what is the perfect “dream job”? It all depends on the individual. I’m sure what I think a “dream job” is, might be totally different to what you feel is the “dream job.” Just like Studs Terkel found in interviewing all the people that he did, as they were all from various walks of life, they all had different perspectives and views on what made work meaningful. I’m sure that most of us have heard time and time again, how teachers are the most unappreciated professionals. But when you speak to a teacher (some anyway), they will tell you how much they love teaching and they find it extremely meaningful. We know that they don’t get paid enough but they tell us, that they are not doing it for the paycheck; they are doing it because they truly love teaching our children.

In the reading by Terkel, we see many examples or stories of different working individuals with jobs that society my have deemed low class or not meaningful. I think it is interesting that when reading this piece, I notice examples of workers in service or labor jobs that have become stuck in the routine of the job thinking that what they do is not important because society has created this hierarchy of what a meaningful job might be. Terkel makes a point to let the reader know that no matter what the job is, if it means something to the individual, the love for that job will carry on even when they are not exactly working or on the clock. That no matter what the job is, one can feel fulfilled or consider what they do for a living meaningful as well as putting food on the table.

Terkel gives a great example of how we have been trained by society to look down upon service jobs when he mentions the waitress who loves what she does but still gets asked why she is just a waitress as if that is not something to be fulfilled by or as if she is “too good” to settle for a waitress job. (terkel xv) I can agree that this is something I have thought about when I see someone has potential or that I find really intelligent, I realize that I have to think about what work means to them and me so that I do not make assumption of someone’s work ethic.

Terkel mentions that one should try to work on improving their lives and should want their children to earn a living with prestigious jobs. As a society, we have been thought to look down on jobs in service (hospitality or labor) so much that we’ve even used different titles to describe the jobs. I totally agree with this because I too have done it myself. Labeling the work title differently just so we do not feel like we are just a receptionist, just a sales person etc.

The idea of having good work ethic seems to be more important than having happiness or feeling fulfilled in the work that we do. Instead of working a job and feeling like a robot like most of us do. I think Terkel is trying to show us that real life matters like actually being happy with the work that we’re doing will give us that feeling of pride whether we are on work duty or not.

In the reading by Studs Terkel (1972:xxvii) he states how work is very important to people and their “human matters” because it allows you to feel accomplished and gives you self value. Although a job may be tough, rough and tiring to achieve, finishing and completing that job or task gives a person a lot of positive emotions within. From my understandings, Studs Terkel believes that those positive emotions that completing a job offers is what “work ethic” should be about and considered. Terkel will like for people to change the views of what “work ethic” is; from being just about making that money to enjoy the emotions you receive by working and completing a task.
Studs Terkel shows through his readings a lot of stories about workers that had different types of labors. In those readings, we could notice that those workers felt proud of the type of job they did and how hard they worked. With the jobs they had they were able to feel accomplished, satisfied and proud of themselves. They were also able to learn day by day more. Terkel wants people to allow themselves to work for meaningful purposes. He states that maybe a job can not satisfy the human spirit of a person but people can turn that around and use their human spirit to make that job into a meaningful work. It is true we all work to gain money, but our priority should be our passion. Work for our passions and integrity and not the gain of money. Doing so will get you discipline and determination to be able to succeed in your career.
In the story of Joe and Susie Haynes, we saw how Joe followed the family tradition to also work at mines. While working at theses mines and being around the land which he learned about, he increased his knowledge in many aspects. Although working at the mines affected his health in many ways, Joe remembers very well all the hard work he did at the mines and everything he learned about the land and the machines. He was also about to notice how other people were about to use their knowledge to buy off land which would increase their money. He shares his story about how he worked for money and so did his father. By doing that he remembers that he did not get to spend time with his dad just like when he began to work, he was mostly at work the entire day.
Overall, Terkel believes that people should not work so hard to just gain money but instead work hard to gain their success and other positive emotions that come with those.

In Working, Studs Terkel argues that our concept of “work ethic” needs to be extracted from our daily banal nationalistic approach in order to sustain life. Those with the means feed on the working class. The separation of class is clearly noted by education, income, and authority. Those who lack the level of education needed are a greater disadvantage when it comes to networking, opportunities, respect and a status of prestige.

The insight given on Mike Lefevre dictates what Terkel is trying to say about work and “human matters”.  Mike works as a laborer, a small part of a grander scaled conveyor belt-like system. He notes that his work serves as a means to ends. It does not satisfy him in the sense of wanting to wake up and do it again. He expresses the need of creditability for his hard labored work. Constructing things with his hands could potentially bring him joy. In a perfect world, everyone could be accountable for themselves and productive. With proper notability even if their work is part of a larger picture. Future work is foreseen by a wave of technology. If you can’t improve yourself, improve your children. He feels the notion of his work is to preserve the future of his kid. He wants his son to be a person who gets the credit, not the small guy that builds the credit for the boss.

Terkel gives the perspective of another worker who gave up his net of stability to pursue his own happiness. In this case, he’s an older man who chooses not to blindly accept the work given, and realized he should do work that he would enjoy. With this new reality in focus, he knew there was no going back. The author suggests this as the ultimate realization and outlook one should acquire, in return, the work will find you. No longer will we have to look for jobs, but just something that consumes our minds and sprouts financial stability.

Personally, this is how I feel towards my education and professional life. I strategically map things out based on my end goal. In my opinion, these paths need to be determined with the wave technology. I never took any joy as being part of a conveyer built; all that mattered was the compensation. It is very much so a means to an ends in my case as well. Which explains why I’m at CWE continuing my education to obtain “happiness”.

When it comes to the idea of work ethic, some may question the value of work and its relationship to ones’ self. I believe that when one thinks of what work ethic should consist of, one should entertain the elements of human life and the fulfillment of work from their own personal values. In other words, the meaning you put behind your work should be one that helps you feel accomplished with the personal values in your life. In Terkel’s piece, I believe this is the point that he makes. No matter how industrious, physical or mundane one’s job can be, Terkel argues that one should look into the idea of how work is meaningful to ones’ self. Once a person finds meaning behind one’s work, Terkel believes that one finds their touch with reality.

He also brings argues the point that once one accepts the idea that work is meaningful, people connect to the “human matters” of jobs. Through various stories and experiences he uses in his writing, he captures the back and forth struggle workers have with their jobs by accomplishing mundane tasks. He continues to argue that while these tasks embody what work contains, the way humans connect to them bring a reality to the work. One quote he uses that I enjoyed and best describes his argument is one that summarizes the overall idea of how work connects to human matters. “Most of us…have jobs that are too small for our spirit. Jobs are not big enough for people.” (1972 xxix) I believe this quote captures the meaning that jobs can never satisfy the human spirit, but it is the human spirit that turns jobs into meaningful work.

In my own experience, I try to distinguish the same principles discussed in the article in my own philosophy of work and life. I believe work is based off one’s core principles and values. In my definition, work embodies the effort one makes in order to fulfill what is required to live and feel accomplished. Jobs are just the medium to find meaningful work. One finds various jobs that are filled with tasks that assist in finding that connection to one’s human reality of feeling fulfillment in their work. From the point they find fulfillment, then the work becomes meaningful and substantive in more ways than a paycheck. That is what brings the human reality into it. When work transforms itself from jobs and into careers that develop human life for one’s self and others.

In the reading “Working “By Studs Terkel I believe what he is trying to state that work is being generated by technology, or better seems as computers, but nothing bring more satisfaction then to have performed physical labor and completed a tangle task. He gives examples of different professions and the satisfaction each feel in the physical job. Not be though that these physical job were short on technology, like factory machines or devices to ease in their labor, but they required a larger physical aspect of performance than those from digital world and computer like jobs. He explains a man work ethic is not based on their age but on its determination and discipline in the capitalistic society. Ralph Helstein explains that work is anything that has value, you should not pursue what is going to make you money but what your passion is, the work that will create that discipline and determination in you to succeed in a capitalist society. Due to the factory like lines of management there is always someone above someone in business today. This keeps everyone accountable for and productive. Society adapts different methods to fulfill this passion and drive, just to be happy and feel satisfaction of hard work.

The story of Bud Freeman relates too what Terkel is communicating about since he discusses what it is like to be a Full-time musician. The discipline, dedication and determination he has only comes from having a passion for the profession. You complete the task and dedicate the appropriate time and research needed to succeed in the career choice. Work is anything value to a citizen’s life. The person places the value on the work by the morals and environment they are living in.

In my opinion, this is how I personally pursue my career and educational life. I am determined, disciplined and dedicated to my goal of achieving success. I view success by the value I have placed on my job. It’s my passion and I perform in a capitalistic manner. I network with clients and contacts so have them view me useful, I administrate worker with some factory line management and pay them according to the time provided and wake up every day with my goal to achieve monetary and valued in my career choice.

In the Reading “The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism” By Max weber describe what he thinks about Benjamin Franklin Spirit of Capitalism subject.

Rationalism – replacement of traditions, values, and emotions as motivators for behavior in society with rational, calculated ones

Benjamin Franklin Illustrates the spirit of Capitalism by saying men have to be honest and have a business attitude. Your time is valuable, the trust and respect you show with the community gives you credit which is valuable and this personality can have you creating more money. This individual with these particular traits are seen as success which is the ultimate goal creating a profit, a capitalist, creating the Spirit of capitalism. Individuals with this personality enjoy living comfortable lives sometimes in luxury of objects but primarily like saving money and putting it away.

In the Capitalist community is just like the jungle or New York City only the strongest survive.

Traditionalism is the opposite of capitalism or pre-capitalism. Citizen will only work enough to receive the money needed to support themselves and family. This happens by paying by the amount of work given. When the opposite happens, less pay for amount of work, it can work but with limit because the wage can become so low its insufficient to support themselves and family. For this method to function for capitalism citizens must seek education. The enterpriser has the mind and spirit of a capitalism and perfumes capitalist activities. Before the organization of rational capitalism and the spirit of capitalism were represented by simple living, socialization and work somehow were changed by a more frugal living, different maneuvering of social life and a more determined work determinable created what we know as corporate America today. Profit and power is what in the world we live in today is the dominant way, the capitalistic way. I believe the spirit of capitalist transformed to adaptation of capitalism.

Weber attempts to explain himself by quoting Benjamin franklin and giving examples the support his point of view and this really gives one perspective on the matter. In my opinion, it does not have to involve religion or belief the way an individual handles or administrates his money or views money. We learn the dominant way of money and this system of capitalism is the dominant. It was not a spirit but an adaptation and evolution of time that influenced the capitalist behavior.

Studs Terkel suggests we stop thinking about “work ethic” in the obvious sense of one’s relationship to work or how one views the work that they do (Terkel, p.xxviii). He further argues that members of the working class are put down by members of the middle class, who are in turn oppressed by larger corporations. (Terkel, p. xxix).  All of this occurs because of the skewed standards of a work ethic placed upon everyone by society (Terkel, p. xxix).  He continues that with an increase in technology, we have machines doing the work that humans did-make things, so now humans can transform their views on work ethics and go on to other matters (Terkel, p.xxviii).

Now that humans are free to go on to other matters, they can focus on doing other, more meaningful types of work, as well as focus on finding this type of work.  This must be done carefully, to ensure that we do find work that is meaningful and fulfilling yet we are also still looking for work that causes us to have to think and use our minds creatively (Terkel, p.xxviii).  Terkel interviewed both blue and white-collar workers, and both expressed an unhappiness in their jobs and likened themselves to feeling like machines, robots, mules, and monkeys (Terkel, p. xiv).  Feeling as though an object or animal is just as capable of doing ones job is a reminder that one is indispensable and not truly leaving their mark in the world.  This feeling is very discouraging.

Terkel interviewed people who mentioned wanting to feel pride in their work, as if what they did had meaning. One taxi driver was proud of his driving abilities and boasted about how his customers even asked him how he does it so well (Terkel, p. xv).  Another person he interviewed was a waitress who takes pride in her ability to float around the dining room gracefully and quietly while telling her customers that they deserve her service (Terkel, p. xv).  Although these interviewees may be considered to have menial, blue-collar jobs that are not prestigious, the feelings of pride that they get from knowing they are good at what they do are insurmountable.

Terkel also writes of someone who gave up a stable job to pursue one that he enjoyed. This was an older man who did not blindly accept what he was told a work ethic should be and once he realized his human need to do work that mattered to him, there was no going back (Terkel, p.xxviii).  Terkel suggests that once we all come to this realization, finding work will be simple.  We will not be looking for jobs to do, but for something that occupies our time, our minds, and also lends us an income.

Due Sunday, October 30th, by midnight. Word count: 400 words. Please make sure everything is in your own words. If you paraphrase, make sure to include the proper citation.

In Working, Studs Terkel (1972:xxvii) argues that our concept of a “work ethic” needs to be wrested from its more banal invocation as the effort put into making a buck. Drawing on details from his writing, explain what you think Terkel is trying to say about work and “human matters.”