å Sunday, October 30th, 2016

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.