
- 354 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
What Work Means goes beyond the stereotypes and captures the diverse ways Americans view work as a part of a good life. Dispelling the notion of Americans as obsessive workaholics, Claudia Strauss presents a more nuanced perspective. While some live to work, others prefer a diligent 9-to-5 work ethic that is conscientious but preserves time for other interests. Her participants often enjoyed their jobs without making work the focus of their life. These findings challenge laborist views of waged work as central to a good life as well as post-work theories that treat work solely as exploitative and soul-crushing.
Drawing upon the evocative stories of unemployed Americans from a wide range of occupations, from day laborers to corporate managers, both immigrant and native-born, Strauss explores how diverse Americans think about the place of work in a good life, gendered meanings of breadwinning, accepting financial support from family, friends, and the state, and what the ever-elusive American dream means to them. By considering how unemployment experiences diverge from joblessness earlier, What Work Means paves the way for a historically and culturally informed discussion of work meanings in a future of teleworking, greater automation, and increasing nonstandard employment.
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Information
Table of contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Note on Terminology
- Transcription Key for Interview Excerpts
- 1. Multiple Meanings of Work in the United States
- 2. Two Protestant Work Ethics (Living to Work or Working Diligently)
- 3. Working to Live Well
- 4. Working to Just Live
- 5. Gendered Meanings of Unemployment
- 6. Good-Enough Occupations and “Fun” Jobs
- 7. A Post-Pandemic Update and the Future of Work
- Appendix
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index