From Franklin to the Great Resignation. American Concepts of Work

elective courses

Classroom

Americans are famous for their work ethic. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic numerous young workers in the U.S. decided to give up their jobs, which has been dubbed as the Great Resignation. During the course we will talk about the phenomenon and its causes by analyzing alterations in the American concept of work from the mid-20th century till today. We will discuss the critique of dissolution of protestant work ethic, analyze phenomenons such as dropping off from rat race by some members of Generation X, Wages for Housework Campaign, today’s work conditions, changes in the labor market connected to AI, and the idea of a post-work society based on universal basic income.

The course presents changes in the concept of work that appeared in the U.S. in the 20th and 21st century. We will start from analysis of protestant work ethic which is fundamental for American society. Next classes are devoted to departures from protestant work ethic, such as the one noticed by Daniel Bell and another one embodied in some members of Gen X’s dropping off from rat race. Another section of the course talks about wages for housework demand that, if realized would allow many caretakers and housewifes for withdrawal from payed jobs (Cox and Federici), and arguments against its implementation (Davis). The following section is concerned with work conditions and character in neoliberalism (Frank, Sennet, Standing, Greaber.) The last topic in the section presents the phenomenon of the Great Resignation.

The closing section of the course discusses the idea of universal basic income and post-work society. The theme is opened with the problem of AI and its influence on labor market (Ford, Chase). We will also talk about Post-work Manifesto supported by labor union workers (Aronowitz), Kathi Weeks’ critique of work ethic and her discussion of productivism, as well as Martin Ford’s arguments for developing a new economic paradigm that does not include compulsory work. The notion of universal basic income will be present on many class meetings.

The course reading material includes texts from sociology, cultural studies, literature and journalism.

The course is dedicated to those interested in changes in the western labor market (especially in the U.S.) and transcending the traditional organization of American (western, capitalist ) society.

In order to pass the course students will need to deliver a presentation as well as write three short papers, including two 2-3-page responses to problems discussed in the class and a final 4-5 -page essay.

Aronowitz, Stanley, Dawn Esposito,Wiliam DiFazio, and Margaret Yard.1998.

„The Post-Work Manifesto." In Post-Work:The Wages of Cybernation ,edited by Stanley Aronowitz and Jonathan Cutler, 31-80.New York: Routledge

Bell, Daniel. 1976. The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism. New Yor

Coupland, Douglas. 1991. Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture

Cox, Nicole and Silvia Federici.1975 „Counter-Planning from the Kitchen. Wages for Housework. A Perspective on Capital and the Left.” NY: Falling Wall Press.

Chase, Calum (ed.). 2019. Stories from 2045. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work. ESC publishing ( selected 2 short stories)

Davis, Angela. 1981. „The Approaching Obsolescence of Housework: A Working-Class Perspective”. Women, Race and Class: New York: Vintage,

Graeber, David. 2018. Bullshit Jobs. Penguin. - fragments

Ford, Martin. „Super-Intelligence and the Singularity” in Rise of the Robots. Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future. Basic Books.

Frank, Thomas. 2000. „Casual Day, U.S.A”. In One Market under God.

Ravenelle, A. J., & Kowalski, K. C. (2023). “It’s Not Like Chasing Chanel:” Spending Time, Investing in the Self, and Pandemic Epiphanies. Work and Occupations, 50(2), 284–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/07308884221125246

Richard Sennet. 2000. The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism. W. W. Norton & Company (chapters: „Drift”, „Flexible”, „The Work Ethic”)

Guy Standing. 2011. The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. ( chapters: 1 & 3)

Weeks, Kathi. 2011 The Problem with Work: Feminism, Marxism, Antiwork Politics and Postwork Imaginaries. Duke University Press. ( „Introduction” and „Mapping the Work Ethic”).

Knowledge

Students will know protestant work ethic, its critique, examples of its transgression, work character and work conditions in neoliberalism, the concept of universal basic income.

Skills

Students will be able to defend their point of view on the changes in American concept of work based on protestant work ethic as well as support their opinion on the notion of universal basic income and post-work society with adequate arguments.

Social Skills

Students will practice debating with their opponents in a cultural way and presenting their point of view in public.

Requirements:

- participation: 20% of the final grade

- presentation - 30% of the final grade

- 2- 3 page responses/reactions to the discussed problems: Gender and work (due after the 5th meeting) 10%; Flexibility ( due after the 11th meeting) - 10%

- 4-5 pages on one of the following topics - due one week after the course is over - 30% o the final grade

Traditional work ethic in the U.S. today

A post-work society

Students may propose their own topic for the final essay.

Grading scale: 100-88/5; 87-73/4; 72-57/3; 56-0/2