The Influence of Work Ethic on Modern Life - Essay Example

? Sociology: An Essay on Work Ethics Presented Overview Work has been synonymous with human beings as a way of life for many years, regardless of whether it is paid, unpaid or any other form. Work has evolved over the history of mankind to acquire different meanings especially in modern times. For example, before the advent of industrial capitalism, work referred in general to activities directed at satisfying the human need for survival to most people at subsistence level. Over the years, work has changed from being just an economic activity for survival to regular paid employment (Edgell 2006, 1). The unit of production has also changed from the household comprising of only family members working at home to factories with specialized units where individuals earn their salaries and wages as opposed to joint ownership. As a result, the term work nowadays refers to a productive activity involving machines powered by inanimate energy sources where employees get monetary payment agreed in advance. This view of work among most people appears to be inclined to employment with little or no time being left for leisure. Being at work is viewed as being more rewarding (either financially or otherwise) than being out of it. According to Grint (2000, 8) this has resulted in marked division between work and non-work and clear understanding of company time and free time. This paper therefore looks at this conception of work which has actually influenced people’s way of life within and without the work place in modern day life. The work ethic influences on modern day life Rask (2008, 1) defined ethics as a process that involves learning what is right or wrong and doing what is right. For workers to be termed as ethical, they must portray virtues like integrity, responsibility, honesty and respect among others. Proper work ethics have become a major concern among many businesses especially at this time when employee turnover is high resulting to more time and money being spent on new staff recruitment. Employees without requisite skills find themselves out of work and have to be involuntary unemployed. The case is more pronounced especially during business turnarounds. This can be summarized by arguments from Russell (1935, 2) who pointed that for one to spend, one has to give employment and this only goes on to complicate life making it worse. Globalization which is driven by capitalism has resulted in a shift from the traditional non-alienating work in ancient times to alienating work (voluntary work) in modern capitalist society (Edgell, 2006, 183). This could be as a result of complex power relationships and structural constraints which most individuals are unaware and impinge on our daily life (Miles, 2002, 1). As a result, employees are moving across the globe in search of better paying and satisfying jobs. In addition, division of labor and specialization, which is identical with modern workplace means that employees have to voluntarily choose their competence areas and specialize in them. The work restructuring is mainly based on two principles, that is, organizational and occupational principles of work structuring (Watson, 2003, 176). This contrasts the traditional society where individuals worked inclusively in one locality for the good of the whole family with work being clearly defined for all. On the other hand, careers in the modern world are on the decline for various reasons. Flores (2000, 12) pointed that new technologies, the increasing consternation of products and services and the impact of globalization on local knowledge as key reasons for the decline. The modern work ethic has resulted in social divisions in the contemporary society. The world has seen emergence of new social class, redefinition of gender roles, dramatic alterations in the constitution of families and households, growing diversity in cultures. This has resulted in greater diversity and fragmentation among societies compared to traditional society settings. People with financially rewarding jobs and political connectedness occupy the upper class while the unemployed and wage earner are at the bottom of the pyramid. The social gap between the two has also increased significantly with the upper class living an affluent lifestyle while the lower class living a subsistence life. Conversely, due to the global movement of goods and services the world is witnessing cultural globalization. Where societies in different parts of the world had diverse ways of life, there is now a global congruence in lifestyle. As a result, there is likelihood of local cultures being subsumed by global cultural forces (Abercrombie and Warde, 2001, 1). Today’s work ethics have also resulted in gender inequality and patriarchy in both paid and unpaid jobs. Various studies show that more often than not women earn less than their male counterparts for one reason or the other. Most women work on part-time basis where pay is less compared to full time employment (Kirby, 2000, 287). Biasness in society where men dominate both at home and at the work place is also to blame for this. More often than not, a woman’s position is dependent upon the class of situation of the family, which in turn, is conditioned by the class position of the head of the family (Grint, 2005, 196). In recent past, there has been a considerable decline in the number of unemployed men not to mention that options for women in the workplace seems to be limited to a small number of variations resulting to more inequality (Abercrombie and Warde, 2001, 101). This has made family life more complicated for female headed households given that some women often opt to be out of employment especially when the children are younger. In addition, the inequalities extend to workplace fitness provisions. For example, while workplace fitness provisions offer a tool of equal opportunities for leisure deprived working women, formal and informal barriers affect women participation in leisure at workplace fitness facilities because some of the activities offered are in-appropriate (Foley, Maxwell and McGillivray, 1999, 12). The world has also witnessed rapid change in family structure and life. For example, there has been a tendency towards clustering of child bearing in early years of marriage and also early marriages especially among the working class (Abercrombie and Warde, 2001, 138). There has also been a considerable decline in the family size where most people prefer fewer children. In addition, Kirby (2000, 52) noted that industrial revolution has brought huge changes in society and family life. Where all family members used to work and produce together for their own consumption and sale of surplus, they are now working individually for their own good. The nature of work in modern times is having a major influence on leisure activities undertaken by individuals. Features of one’s job like pay and hours of work have a bearing on the type of leisure activities an employee engages in. Nature of work has been known to create interests and technical skills which spread into leisure. Workers are using their free time to engage in activities that they would otherwise not engage at the work place (Roberts, 2006, 58). Furthermore, people with better pay are known to spend more time in leisure than low earning individuals who often prefer working long hours/ overtime to enhance their incomes. In fact it a well known fact that those with financial means and more free hours are known to frequent leisure facilities for recreation and body fitness. The role of women in the British society has undergone significant and cumulative changes under modern day work ethics. Today, women have been increasingly involved in economic activities and are now balancing working, parenting and leisure. More women are involved in paid employment and their number compares to that of men. For example, according to the department of employment’s annual employment survey, by 1995, 49.3% of employed population comprised of women (Kirby, 2000, 286). This is a sharp contrast to earlier days when women were predominantly confined to parenting roles. This has in a way influenced employers to provide health and fitness facilities for staff in their workplace. These provisions have been known to increase leisure participation rates of women at work mostly in keep fit activities (Foley, Maxwell and McGillivray, 1999, 1, 12). The economic development witnessed in different countries is as a result of modern concept of work ethics. However, Stockhausen (1998, 1681) cautions that the goal of any economy should be provision of human work and meeting human physical needs so that individuals can pursue spiritual growth in health relationships with self, with family, society and God. Therefore, it is important in modern day to balance materialistic goals which often dominates with spiritual side of the person. There is increasing personal neglect among workers partly blamed by adoption of extreme capitalist ideology which merely focuses on free markets as the panacea to social and economic ills. Therefore, it is important for society to preserve traditional cultures, especially those that value communal time and celebration over efficiency and productivity. Doing so will lead to better human development and better use of leisure time. To live a meaningful life, individuals need to have a holistic approach to work where leisure is appreciated and not condemned. It is also important to important to address gender inequalities that come with work ethics both in work and leisure related activities. This could involve addressing welfare issues and enacting laws and regulation that create harmony at the workplace and the society in general. List of references Abercrombie, N. and Warde A., 2001. The contemporary British society reader. Cambridge. Polity Press Edgell, S., 2006. Sociology of work: Continuity and change in paid and unpaid work. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Foley, M., Maxwell, G., and MGillvray, D 1999, Women at leisure and in work – Unequal opportunities, Equal Opportunities International, 18 (1) Flores, F., 2000. Entrepreneurship and wired life: work in the wake of careers. London: Demos Grint, K., 2000. Work and society: A reader. Cambridge. Polity Press Grint, K., 2005. The sociology of work 3rd ed.. Cambridge: Polity press. Kirby, M 2000. Sociology in perspective: AQA edition. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers Miles, S., 2002. Social Theory in the real world. London Sage publications Rask, L R., 2008. Work ethics and generation gap. Which ethical track are you on? Bloomington: AuthorHouse Roberts, K., 2006. Leisure in contemporary society 2nd ed. CABI Publishing. Wallingford Russell, B 1935. In praise of idleness and other essays. London: Routledge Stockhausen, G 1998. Leisure: Leisure in the thoughts of John Paul II. International Journal of Social Economics 25 (11/12) pp 1672 – 1683. Watson, T., 2003. Sociology, work and industry. London. Routledge Read More