How did we come to have something called Work Ethics? Was there a time in our Human history when folks looked around and noticed that the garbage was piling up, the floors were filthy and no one was bending over the cook pot?
I wonder when the expression came into practice? Folks lived on the soil and it took every minute of every day to claw out an existence. Those unable to work were cared for during good times, or left to die in hard times. Those who refused to carry their share were usually driven off. In other words, it was as full employment as we ever had. So who invented "work ethics"? Was it the same guy who invented the time clock? Or the "right to work" laws?
Workaholics became a badge of pride, and we learned to admire people who took great risks on the job in order to prove that they were good company men.
For my way of thinking, work ethics was invented in order to goad the average person into doing work they really didn't want to do, but was important to some Capitalist.
Anyway, as I trundle off to bed, my point is that the term is not one I want shoved down my throat. I do what I find I need to do, or that which I take pleasure in doing. But my days are busy without someone holding a sign over my head.
Carl Jarvis
----- Original Message -----From: ted chittendenSent: Friday, June 08, 2012 8:25 PMSubject: Re: the work ethicAlice:
First, I think that the Protestant work ethic does have its good points. The willingness, patience, and tenacity to complete a given job are in and of themselves great values. It can also be said that many people who might otherwise fall into behaviors such as theft and other illegalities can find a certain amount of peace and routineness in practicing the Protestant work ethic
That said, the Protestant work ethic, like the free market, Marxism, and everything else in life, has its downsides. Some of the ethic's supporters view the work ethic as a cure-all for whatever ails you (not true), and many people use the Protestant work ethic as a means of escaping from, and sometimes ignoring, some very real problems in their relationships with others. The Protestant work ethic, as you have noted in your initial comments, also fails to distinguish between good and bad jobs--it views working as the end-all and be-all for life. If one followed that logic, then slavery could become rampant again. Also, some jobs, particularly those in the defense and some in the energy industries, involve slowly destroying the very planet on which we live and then denying there is a problem. Finally, the Protestant work ethic fails to note that the amount of work available worldwide is insufficient for the number of people seeking jobs. This is a huge problem, because people!
who cannot find jobs will find it harder and harder to survive in a world where the wealth earned by the few is not being spread out to the rest of the population.
--
Ted Chittenden
Every story has at least two sides if not more.
---- alice dampman humel <alicedh@verizon.net> wrote:
Hi, Miriam, Carl, Claude, Charlie, all,
interesting comments about how we call it "work" because this
is what society demands everyone should do...perhaps I've fallen
into that trap myself, but I hope not, I'll have to examine this
question further.
It is certainly rampant among our own blind community on
these lists. There have been quite vitriolic comments in
discussions of blind people who either are forced to or choose to
live on SSI and/or disability. Some people have even said that
all blind people should be kicked off the SSI rolls, look at how
people on the acb lists make fun of and insult that Eric guy who
apparently does not work and freeloads his way around baseball
parks. Even among our own blind community, people who are
unemployed or underemployed are "looked down on" by some, are
told they should give up whatever they are doing and go work in a
call center or something. Prostitution was even suggested as a
good idea for a career choice if a blind person could not find
other work...or even if she could. So the attitudes even among
our own group, and that includes this progressive list, seem to
head in that direction.
I guess when I wrote that message about calling these day
programs "work" and paying the people accordingly I was thinking
of a friend's grown retarded child who lives in a group home and
has some little part-time job somewhere sweeping up or
something...I actually forget exactly what he does. He gets state
support obviously, and I guess the job gives him pocket money,
and he's happy as a clam. He loves going to work, being with the
people, he goes to the movies, buys CD's and things he wants with
his "wages." I don't know what he is paid, whether it's minimum
wage or not. For him it works out well. But perhaps for others,
it does not.
But that is what I meant when I said I thought this was a rather
complex issue. But one thing I think we all agree upon:
exploitation of workers, particularly to benefit and line the
pockets of the big bosses, as was illustrated in the Good Will
article is horrible and must be stopped.
Alice
alicedh@verizon.net
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Ted Chittenden
Every story has at least two sides if not more.
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