Here is an amusing essay on the labor market from Anthropologist David Graeber. It has caused a minor viral reaction on the web. See what you think, then read the follow up from The Economist.
This article points out that jobs are often created for people to have jobs but in the end they are not very useful. It shows the effect of jobs slowly being put out because technology advancing. BR pd 1
I thought his view of BS jobs was really interesting. I never really thought of nannies and dog walkers as being these BS jobs that only exist because they're needed by people who are lawyers and doctors. The article states that the main goal of capitalism is not supposed to make up smaller unnecessary jobs, in fact it is supposed to get rid of them. Yet, in the USA we have them and use them frequently! However, I think that these jobs aren't always bad to have because in some people's lives they may not have the chance to become educated enough to be a lawyer or doctor. Therefore, these smaller jobs are what they rely on like the people paying them rely on them to walk their dogs. I also like his point that the world we live in gives people the thought that doing what they love (singing, painting) isn't going to get them far in the world even though they would be one in a million. Instead of being unique and pursuing a talent, these people turn into one of a million lawyers or doctors.
After reading this article i realize that a lot of jobs today are really BS jobs. And yes we may not need the people that work at MsDonald's or McDonald's its self but those jobs are important to the people that have them. I work at Abercrombie and does this world NEED that store? and do i need that job? No. But to me the job isn't a BS job because it's how I make money and it's how some people make their living, from that job. So i think that BS jobs, even though may not be needed in this world, and necessary to the people that have them. SR Period 1
This article states that "bullshit" jobs are created to keep the nation from having free time because our leaders believe that would be harmful to us. I think these jobs are necessary because they keep the people motivated and independent. If everyone has an income they wont depend on the government for one. Danielle C period 1
I believe that the reason we're working long hours despite the technological advancements is because technology increased what was expected to be done since it rapidly accelerated our day-to-day lives. I think part of the resentment towards those with meaningful jobs is that many people wished they could be doing something with a purpose rather than toil away for hours on something pointless. There is a jealousy against those with a purpose. I just hope that I find a job that doesn't seem as pointless Period 1- B. Lee
This is another article that is not too inspirational. After reading both of the articles I feel the same way. There are either jobs that people hate doing that pay well or jobs that are interesting but either do not pay well or there is a limited space in that profession for the workers. In addition, there are many jobs that are/can be taken over by advancements in technology. I personally feel that instead of going into a field that pays well, I should go into a field that I will enjoy working in. Regardless, there are not too many jobs out there, so I might as well do something I enjoy. I believe that if you are truly passionate about something, no matter what the career is, you will become successful in some way because of your passion. ze econ pd. 1
The article is saying how our "job system" is just a cycle of useless jobs that aren't needed. We have lower class jobs because high class jobs are getting busier even though our advancement in technology says that we should be going towards 15 hour weeks. -Kenneth Ni
Even though it might be good to work 15 hour work weeks and still make the same ammount of money, but they are making more jobs useless. That is bad for us because over time, we won't know how to do anything. It can feel depressing because we are going to work everyday knowing that our jobs is pointless and never being happy because we need to go back to that same job everyday. As time goes on, we are going to get lazier and lazier because the jobs that are available will be the ones where you sit at a desk and look at the news feed on Facebook and twitter. But it will also make more time to spend with your family. -LM pd 1
Similar to the other article, I think that the world needs these useless jobs. We will all end up on the streets without them. Yes, it's stupid. Yes, we don't need them. BUT, that is how we provide for ourselve and our family with the essentials of shelter, food and clothing. -BS (period 1)
I think that one of the reasons free time is so coveted and desired is because it comes as a result of working to earn it, which makes people feel as if they have accomplished what they need to and can relish in the limited time they have to pursue their hobbies. I feel like while 15 hour work weeks theoretically sounds amazing, free time would lose it's value and special qualities. If we have too much free time, the things that we considered a rarity and specialty to do become ordinary, and the excitement is gone. However, the concept of a "bullshit" job scares me, because I don't think I could handle finding myself in a position like that in 10 years. I would hate to know that the results of my labor are not doing anything to benefit society. It's hard to create jobs that hold meaning when technology has taken over the workforce. I think that the battle between technology and human labor will continue to develop, and hopefully we find a working balance soon enough. -SV period 1
Given the choice between less hours and more pleasure, we have chosen the latter. This is why many new jobs have been created. However, most of these jobs are useless. The sole purpose of these jobs is just to keep us working. Although it is good that people are getting employed, it is not okay that people are not being productive. Jobs should reflect your interests and talents, not simply be a time consumer. - Period 1 DS
I completely agree that "the market" does not represent a majority of the American population. But because most do not have a say in this "market" our labor market cannot change to benefit every single worker out there. I don't agree that all the jobs the author listed were pointless, but we can function without them. These "BS" jobs actually help the unskilled or uneducated from homelessness or bankruptcy. JK pd.1
After reading this article, I thought about some BS jobs and the main one i could think of was that my aunt who does not work, has a cleaning lady for her house so that she can do nothing everyday. The job she provides to the cleaning lady at her house is a completely pointless job, which has been becoming very popular in the United States. Also, it is crazy that people would take jobs that serve no purpose, just to get money and have something to do.
I found this article to be about how social values have more effect than economic trends.
The most interesting parts of the article, I thought, was the idea of that a "general rule" exists; that, "the more obviously one’s work benefits other people, the less one is likely to be paid for it." Yesterday I just had a conversation with a friend about how hard it is to be a good teacher. Being a teacher is such a hard job, but it seems that they don't get rewarded enough monetarily...
Another concept I found interesting was that that the writer believed that people work even more to feel more meaningful, instead of actually doing things that are meaningful to them/others. It's a little frustrating to see that people compete and work so hard to fit society's values instead of their own. Shiana Pd. 1
I never realized how many BS jobs we have. I also think that we wanted more money and get more pleasure and thats the reason we still have to work multiple hours almost every day. Also technology is taking away the jobs that aren't BS and the new jobs aren't necessary to live, they are just there so we can work and earn money. -Michael Reynarowych Period 1
I think that with all of these new jobs, more people will be able to work. Some people may think that these jobs are useless but to others, they might not be. (the last comment was mine) Adel Elkosh
I have to slightly agree but at the same time, I’m stuck between him over-exaggerating entailed with his opinion. Food service jobs are probably something we as a society could live without. We could cook our own meals at home and prepare healthier ones too. This, however, does not, in any way make food service jobs bulls**t. When the efficiency of a certain job increases, then the prices go down. Mass production or more production create lower prices because there’s more of that product. The money starts to flow in a slightly different direction then. When one thing goes down the other will go up. It’s purely economics. If some money went into the cinema production industry, to make more movies so kids can go see them, that’s called a movie industry being created. But, at the same time, gas prices increase. The restaurant industry will now begin to flourish. But, now people worry about dying in tragic accidents so healthcare goes up. It’s a cause and effect. It's society. DS Pd. 1
I think this author was focusing more on the irony in the fact that technology hasn't improved the job force. The real concern in this issue should be if people are actually miserable because they feel like they are worthless. But everyone's still getting paid so it's not so much an economic epidemic as much as a social problem.
I found this article to be very interesting. BS jobs are common in today's economy and no we don't necessarily need these BS jobs; however, we do need to take into consideration that they are a source of income for many people who have yet to gain the required skills and expertise for a better form of employment. For example I have a few friends who work at stores such as Abercrombie or even Hollister and although I'm sure they would rather be working elsewhere they're working hard to earn what they can. Some are saving and some are spending yet at the end of the day they are earning their money through some form of employment in an economy where the alarming unemployment rate is constantly fluctuating.
Are a lot of jobs in fact BS? I think that jobs can be BS in a sense like "how does this help society" but all jobs have a purpose. Most of the jobs that the articles states does fill some sort of role like potentially earning the company more money or freeing up a person's free time in order to do what he/she wants to do aka dog walker or babysitter. While these are "BS" jobs, these "BS" jobs are what help stimulate the economy in a sense. Money doesn't stay at one place. With each job money circulates in everybody's hands. KA Pd. 1
I thought it was interesting how he initially called the smaller jobs, like the dog washers and all-night pizza deliverymen, were bullshit jobs but then in the end he acknowledged that they are the jobs that our society really relies on. I agreed with his point that if jobs like nurses or garbagemen were to simply disappear, our world would fall apart but if the higher up, more impressive jobs, like the big-shot CEOs and telemarketers, were to disappear we wouldn't really suffer. The "lower scale" jobs are the ones that exploited but meanwhile they're the ones the people really depend on. In our society, i feel like working is just a part of life and you just have to suck it up because rarely will you get to do what you absolutely love and make a living off of it. We've done the exact opposite of what capitalism wanted to do. We've created more useless unnecessary jobs just for the sake of having them while the goal of capitalism was to get rid of them. Many of these bs jobs have been created because our society values material items and can never be happy with what they have, they always want more. This is why people choose to work more, so they have more money to buy more things, thus creating all these bs jobs.
This article points out that jobs are often created for people to have jobs but in the end they are not very useful. It shows the effect of jobs slowly being put out because technology advancing.
ReplyDeleteBR pd 1
I thought his view of BS jobs was really interesting. I never really thought of nannies and dog walkers as being these BS jobs that only exist because they're needed by people who are lawyers and doctors. The article states that the main goal of capitalism is not supposed to make up smaller unnecessary jobs, in fact it is supposed to get rid of them. Yet, in the USA we have them and use them frequently! However, I think that these jobs aren't always bad to have because in some people's lives they may not have the chance to become educated enough to be a lawyer or doctor. Therefore, these smaller jobs are what they rely on like the people paying them rely on them to walk their dogs. I also like his point that the world we live in gives people the thought that doing what they love (singing, painting) isn't going to get them far in the world even though they would be one in a million. Instead of being unique and pursuing a talent, these people turn into one of a million lawyers or doctors.
ReplyDeleteD. Lieb per1
After reading this article i realize that a lot of jobs today are really BS jobs. And yes we may not need the people that work at MsDonald's or McDonald's its self but those jobs are important to the people that have them. I work at Abercrombie and does this world NEED that store? and do i need that job? No. But to me the job isn't a BS job because it's how I make money and it's how some people make their living, from that job. So i think that BS jobs, even though may not be needed in this world, and necessary to the people that have them. SR Period 1
ReplyDeleteThis article states that "bullshit" jobs are created to keep the nation from having free time because our leaders believe that would be harmful to us. I think these jobs are necessary because they keep the people motivated and independent. If everyone has an income they wont depend on the government for one.
ReplyDeleteDanielle C period 1
I believe that the reason we're working long hours despite the technological advancements is because technology increased what was expected to be done since it rapidly accelerated our day-to-day lives. I think part of the resentment towards those with meaningful jobs is that many people wished they could be doing something with a purpose rather than toil away for hours on something pointless. There is a jealousy against those with a purpose. I just hope that I find a job that doesn't seem as pointless
ReplyDeletePeriod 1- B. Lee
This is another article that is not too inspirational. After reading both of the articles I feel the same way. There are either jobs that people hate doing that pay well or jobs that are interesting but either do not pay well or there is a limited space in that profession for the workers. In addition, there are many jobs that are/can be taken over by advancements in technology. I personally feel that instead of going into a field that pays well, I should go into a field that I will enjoy working in. Regardless, there are not too many jobs out there, so I might as well do something I enjoy. I believe that if you are truly passionate about something, no matter what the career is, you will become successful in some way because of your passion. ze econ pd. 1
ReplyDeleteThe article is saying how our "job system" is just a cycle of useless jobs that aren't needed. We have lower class jobs because high class jobs are getting busier even though our advancement in technology says that we should be going towards 15 hour weeks. -Kenneth Ni
ReplyDeleteEven though it might be good to work 15 hour work weeks and still make the same ammount of money, but they are making more jobs useless. That is bad for us because over time, we won't know how to do anything. It can feel depressing because we are going to work everyday knowing that our jobs is pointless and never being happy because we need to go back to that same job everyday. As time goes on, we are going to get lazier and lazier because the jobs that are available will be the ones where you sit at a desk and look at the news feed on Facebook and twitter. But it will also make more time to spend with your family.
ReplyDelete-LM pd 1
Similar to the other article, I think that the world needs these useless jobs. We will all end up on the streets without them. Yes, it's stupid. Yes, we don't need them. BUT, that is how we provide for ourselve and our family with the essentials of shelter, food and clothing.
ReplyDelete-BS (period 1)
I think that one of the reasons free time is so coveted and desired is because it comes as a result of working to earn it, which makes people feel as if they have accomplished what they need to and can relish in the limited time they have to pursue their hobbies. I feel like while 15 hour work weeks theoretically sounds amazing, free time would lose it's value and special qualities. If we have too much free time, the things that we considered a rarity and specialty to do become ordinary, and the excitement is gone. However, the concept of a "bullshit" job scares me, because I don't think I could handle finding myself in a position like that in 10 years. I would hate to know that the results of my labor are not doing anything to benefit society. It's hard to create jobs that hold meaning when technology has taken over the workforce. I think that the battle between technology and human labor will continue to develop, and hopefully we find a working balance soon enough. -SV period 1
ReplyDeleteGiven the choice between less hours and more pleasure, we have chosen the latter. This is why many new jobs have been created. However, most of these jobs are useless. The sole purpose of these jobs is just to keep us working. Although it is good that people are getting employed, it is not okay that people are not being productive. Jobs should reflect your interests and talents, not simply be a time consumer. - Period 1 DS
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that "the market" does not represent a majority of the American population. But because most do not have a say in this "market" our labor market cannot change to benefit every single worker out there. I don't agree that all the jobs the author listed were pointless, but we can function without them. These "BS" jobs actually help the unskilled or uneducated from homelessness or bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteJK pd.1
After reading this article, I thought about some BS jobs and the main one i could think of was that my aunt who does not work, has a cleaning lady for her house so that she can do nothing everyday. The job she provides to the cleaning lady at her house is a completely pointless job, which has been becoming very popular in the United States. Also, it is crazy that people would take jobs that serve no purpose, just to get money and have something to do.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be about how social values have more effect than economic trends.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting parts of the article, I thought, was the idea of that a "general rule" exists; that, "the more obviously one’s work benefits other people, the less one is likely to be paid for it." Yesterday I just had a conversation with a friend about how hard it is to be a good teacher. Being a teacher is such a hard job, but it seems that they don't get rewarded enough monetarily...
Another concept I found interesting was that that the writer believed that people work even more to feel more meaningful, instead of actually doing things that are meaningful to them/others. It's a little frustrating to see that people compete and work so hard to fit society's values instead of their own.
Shiana Pd. 1
I never realized how many BS jobs we have. I also think that we wanted more money and get more pleasure and thats the reason we still have to work multiple hours almost every day. Also technology is taking away the jobs that aren't BS and the new jobs aren't necessary to live, they are just there so we can work and earn money.
ReplyDelete-Michael Reynarowych
Period 1
I think that with all of these new jobs, more people will be able to work. Some people may think that these jobs are useless but to others, they might not be. (the last comment was mine)
ReplyDeleteAdel Elkosh
I have to slightly agree but at the same time, I’m stuck between him over-exaggerating entailed with his opinion. Food service jobs are probably something we as a society could live without. We could cook our own meals at home and prepare healthier ones too. This, however, does not, in any way make food service jobs bulls**t. When the efficiency of a certain job increases, then the prices go down. Mass production or more production create lower prices because there’s more of that product. The money starts to flow in a slightly different direction then. When one thing goes down the other will go up. It’s purely economics. If some money went into the cinema production industry, to make more movies so kids can go see them, that’s called a movie industry being created. But, at the same time, gas prices increase. The restaurant industry will now begin to flourish. But, now people worry about dying in tragic accidents so healthcare goes up. It’s a cause and effect. It's society.
ReplyDeleteDS Pd. 1
I think this author was focusing more on the irony in the fact that technology hasn't improved the job force. The real concern in this issue should be if people are actually miserable because they feel like they are worthless. But everyone's still getting paid so it's not so much an economic epidemic as much as a social problem.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very interesting. BS jobs are common in today's economy and no we don't necessarily need these BS jobs; however, we do need to take into consideration that they are a source of income for many people who have yet to gain the required skills and expertise for a better form of employment. For example I have a few friends who work at stores such as Abercrombie or even Hollister and although I'm sure they would rather be working elsewhere they're working hard to earn what they can. Some are saving and some are spending yet at the end of the day they are earning their money through some form of employment in an economy where the alarming unemployment rate is constantly fluctuating.
ReplyDeleteAre a lot of jobs in fact BS? I think that jobs can be BS in a sense like "how does this help society" but all jobs have a purpose. Most of the jobs that the articles states does fill some sort of role like potentially earning the company more money or freeing up a person's free time in order to do what he/she wants to do aka dog walker or babysitter. While these are "BS" jobs, these "BS" jobs are what help stimulate the economy in a sense. Money doesn't stay at one place. With each job money circulates in everybody's hands.
ReplyDeleteKA Pd. 1
I thought it was interesting how he initially called the smaller jobs, like the dog washers and all-night pizza deliverymen, were bullshit jobs but then in the end he acknowledged that they are the jobs that our society really relies on. I agreed with his point that if jobs like nurses or garbagemen were to simply disappear, our world would fall apart but if the higher up, more impressive jobs, like the big-shot CEOs and telemarketers, were to disappear we wouldn't really suffer. The "lower scale" jobs are the ones that exploited but meanwhile they're the ones the people really depend on. In our society, i feel like working is just a part of life and you just have to suck it up because rarely will you get to do what you absolutely love and make a living off of it. We've done the exact opposite of what capitalism wanted to do. We've created more useless unnecessary jobs just for the sake of having them while the goal of capitalism was to get rid of them. Many of these bs jobs have been created because our society values material items and can never be happy with what they have, they always want more. This is why people choose to work more, so they have more money to buy more things, thus creating all these bs jobs.
ReplyDeleteNS pd. 1