Sunday, January 18, 2009
Week 1 HW
I cannot say that these readings currently coincide with my life, as I am still a student, however that will not be for long. Within the next 6 months, I will be shoved into the work force and the issues discussed in these 4 readings will become my issues. Although, I do not foresee myself delving into the financial world, I see these issues discussed as real for almost all companies. As a worker, I clearly am not going to want to be battling with the management over 10-12 hour workdays- sacrificing my well-being for the success of the company. I have many friends who work at banks and for the sake of what they could maybe be/have in 2 years, they sacrifice their current happiness. Companies too often take for granted the intellectual capability of their employees and too often see workers as a means to an an end. As I become one of these workers in the near future, I know that when picking a company to work for, I will highly consider their treatment of employees and commitment to social responsibility. Although, I do not aspire to work at Starbucks, when thinking of social promise, that company immediately comes to mind. They are committed to helping out our community, providing superb service to customers, and maximizing employee benefits. The combination of those 3 things tells me that they are not an organization that exists solely to make money. As I look down the road, I want a company who values the intellectual property of their workers and prides itself on the fact that a good business is a community with a purpose, not something to be owned. I am now more attuned to the practice of businesses- ones who see the purpose of business as business and ones who see it as a sufficient condition. Keeping these aspects in mind are going to be really important for me in the next coming months as I continue my job search and will hopefully have enough liberty to choose a company that matches my own principles and beliefs.
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In class we discussed how we – those in the class – are not really workers, or at least in the way that Marx meant it. We have the capacity to move up the economic ladder, although many of us are starting very high up on it, and are not going to be constantly used and exploited by a capitalist. Dorie mentioned above that many of her friends have worked at banks, trying to work their way up. They have even sacrificed some of their current happiness and time to devote to a job they might not like in order to advance in wage and title into a job that they will like. Now Marx would say that they were being exploited by the companies and that this is wrong. If these friends had no means or ability to move upwards, no other job offerings, and were completely relying on their job for their well-being then yes, perhaps they are being exploited. Yet, they willing choose their job with the mind-set of moving upwards and finding a job they enjoy. Because of this, there is no way they can be exploited; they are willing to make the sacrifice. The banks have no reason to pay them any more because they are willing workers, wanting to better themselves in the company. The choice of sacrificing oneself for a company is purely up to the individual, at least in our country where people have certain freedoms.
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