The Protestant work ethic: Just Another urban legend was written by Jonathan Klemens, he mainly addressed the American work ethics require workers passionate about a mission, also a good ethic is essential for country’s economy and society. it’s also still deeply rooted in American society. Based on the work of the sociologist Max Weber, he explores the origins and values of good work ethics and capitalism.
This work ethic, he points out, is reflected in those who find work that both serves society and meets individual needs. However, I partially agree with his argument that work ethic is “ firmly entrenched as a powerful and valued American social trait,” Everything is a double-edged sword, work ethic is a responsible performance for work, achieve self-worth but failure to follow the laws of science can cause irreparable damage, the fair or foul of work ethic may either create everything or destroy everything.
American work ethic is a belief in the moral value of work. Work hard, make luck, believe anything is possible. Because work is ethical, those who work harder or longer are, by definition, more ethical than those who don’t. This is the American work ethic – an elitist faith driven entirely by willpower. To be moral is to respect and uphold the just freedom of an individual or social organization. In terms of equality, although ‘all men are created equal’ is stipulated by law, there are still serious inequalities in many fields of American professional life, such as human rights prejudice, racial discrimination and gender discrimination which also exist in every corner of American professional life.
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In the United States, work ethics are deeply rooted in American society. For instance, my friend tells me that the United States and China actually have something in common. That’s the rat race. Because of China’s large population, the competition is fierce and cruel. There are fewer Americans, but the rules of the game are still very cruel. My homestay mon is a cook and usually work for a certain family, take care of their three meals a day, she works three days per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The work ethic is closely connected with the economic condition. Because of rising prices and demands on the economy, she decides to find another job on Tuesday and Thursday in order to increase income and rise the life into another level. in addition, She also rents out three extra rooms to college students, each of whom keeps a decent income. as she said, the average American works 34 hours a week, this is an average that counts part-time workers.
In her spare time, she also often buys ingredients home and prepares some dishes for her own enjoyment. the older they are, the more they value not the money, but the time they spend in the world. So Klemens’ idea of the work ethic is personifies by those who have found work that provides both a service to society and personal satisfaction (Klemens 210) is particularly reflected in my homestay mom obviously also it embodies the traditional American work ethic explores people’s passion for life and work.
People struggle every day to strike a more sensible balance between work and life, and work always prevails. the outbreak of COVID-19 is a good example to explain the different thoughts on different people. Even though the health center advised to keep the social distance is a better way to prevent the outburst of virus, there were still a lot of people who don’t understand this argument, there were even mass gatherings, street protests. they thought that no entertainment facilities should be closed, it was just a normal flu and there was no need to wear masks.
In fact, the main reason for their protest against home quarantine is that they have no jobs, no income is no life. it seems that human rights are more important than life. The American work ethic, which drives Americans to work longer every week, longer hours than any other industry, business and countries, is an important factor of America’s success. This makes America become one of the most workaholic countries in the world. the pursuit of happiness and the American dream drives progress and innovation, but it also has unintended side effects, excessive desire for work, for the money it brings, leads people to neglect basic health problems.
Many employers use words such as ‘qualified,’ ‘disengaged,’ ‘unmotivated,’ and ‘disloyal’ when describing their current and potential workforce. That’s because America’s new workforce – those between the ages of 16 and 24 – is bringing some amazing skills and personality traits into the workforce. The young employee showed up for work 10 minutes late in flip-flops and pajama pants, then fidgeted during the workday until the pace slowed down enough to allow her to use her smart phone to text friends or update her Facebook page.
The traditional American work ethic needs another generation to pass on. as Klemens mentioned in the article that the traits characterize a strong work ethic includes focus on work, unpretentious and modest comportment and honesty and ethics (Klemens 211). The moral of the day is to feel good about yourself, no matter what you do.
In today’s mediocre education, literacy and knowledge are on the decline and are rarely valued. In a culture that celebrates mundane behavior, where everyone gets a trophy for participating, the social construct of self-esteem deprives individuals of the drive to improve through competition and achievement. Self-indulgence and debt have taken the place of self-reliance and thrift. Immersion in social media has replaced the work ethic in the workplace.
The American work ethic is well represented in my homestay mom’s life, a good work ethic can not only get material satisfaction, but also gain spiritual incentives. However, the work ethic has changed to some extent. I think now more and more people have a sense of entitlement in their work habits. The pursuit of happiness obscures the pursuit of material wealth. With the death of the older generation, their work ethic will go with it, and there needs to be a better promotion of a good work ethic to make the next generation understand that what is necessary for success, essential to a strong economy and a positive vibe for our society.
