Claim: Stop thinking about work in such a negative way.
• Reason: Our dislike of work is an arbitrary learned behavior
o Evidence: paraphrase: we are brainwashed by the media to dislike work (Finding Flow, 50).
Reason: We are surrounded by media that suggests that work is a negative thing that we shoud not like
o Evidence: http://www.disgruntledworkforce.com/blog/
• Reason: We actually like work because it gives us a sense of purpose
o Evidence: Use The Function and Meaning of Work and the Job book.
Claim: Our negative view of work begins with our first jobs as teens in the minimum wage workforce.
• Reason: We begin taking jobs for the sole purpose of making money even though it does nothing to better ourselves, or our careers.
o Evidence: I would reference personal experience as well as the experiences of high school friends.
• Reason: Having a job makes us feel as though we are doing something positive even if we dislike the work itself.
o Evidence: “Work is a strange experience: it provides some of the most intense and satisfying moments, it gives a sense of pride and identity, yet it is something most of us are glad to avoid”(Finding Flow, 49).
• Reason: Having a more positive relationship between the adult workforce and teen workforce would benefit both parties.
o Evidence: Working at Cupcake Royale gave me a meaningful mentoring experience from an adult in my desired profession versus my friend who worked at starbucks.
o Evidence: Youth have unrealistic high goals for their jobs because of the lack of meaningful job opportunities and adult mentors (Finding Flow, 53)
Claim: Given the option to have enough money to never work again most people would continue to work.
• Reason: People like the feeling that someone is relying on them
o Evidence: My grandparents, my grandfather is lively and productive and still holds a job. My grandmother retired years ago and with the loss of her job lost her sense of motivation.
• Reason: Without work people feel lost.
o Evidence: Talk about dad retiring
o Evidence: Use American Sociological Review stats
Ultimately I want this paper to prove that we whine too much. Work is a part of life and whether we want to admit it or not we love it, and we would feel lost without it.
3 comments:
You have many good ideas about your paper, but may be having trouble finding a focus. I personally like how you present the contradictory idea of work being negative to many people but still can not live emotionally without it. If you could dig deeper with that, it would be very interesting. Also, when it comes to teens having bad experiences with work, you might also want to mention the positive outcomes regaurdless to how terrible the job is. Such as, the freedom many experience by finally being able to make money for themselves, the increased opportuninity, and a sense of schedule that may contribute to the building of flow in a teens life. Overall, you can make a great paper with your ideas, but the evidence, and reasoning, can be strenghthened a bit.
So it seems like you're still having trouble narrowing down your topic. In my opinion, your second argument is the best. The first one lacks definition. It's pretty vague, I mean wouldn't the hatred of work depend on the job you hold? I am a music major, and get excited when I think about working in the future (assuming it's something in music). And how does the media trick us into hating work?
Your third post idea is pretty good, and I think if you develop that one more it would be a good candidate for the paper. But as it stands, your second one is the best because of it's evidence. It would, however, be tough to prove the idea about teens hating you're jobs. I'm like you, the only job I've had is working at a music store so its atleast somewhat related to my future, but I have a twin brother who works at Marble Slab Creamery, and he doesn't like love the job, but he doesn't hate it at all. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to work with ice cream for the rest of his life. Good post , I enjoyed the ideas.
Go look at the Mark Edmunsdon essay about "Dwelling In Possibilities"--the last page, near the end, where he talks about the kinds of jobs his students feel they have to choose, even if it is not what they are cut out for. He speaks of the consequences of a life that like forcing a round peg into a square hole. And what he says about the kids who resist the messages of the culture about work is really pretty moving and inspiring.
Post a Comment