How Work Became a Job | Palladium Magazine
The consolidation of industrial labor in the 19th century and the rise of the consumer-citizen in the 20th introduced a new moral paradigm of work that has now become fake, leaving workers alienated and loyalties betrayed.
Alfred T. Palmer/Inglewood, California If you want to experience a meaning crisis, it’s hard to beat being an American white-collar worker today. To do menial labor as part of some great project is tolerable, which is why every Silicon Valley startup needs to say that it’s saving the world. But most of us are not saving the world. We’re manipulating derivatives, or tracking SEO metrics, or litigating, or some other goal as mundane as the work itself. To sour the deal even further, long periods of sitting and staring at screens, set schedules, and long commutes (when most of us did such a thing
related reading
- After Work, We’ll Have Each Otherasteriskmag.com
- The Religion of Workism Is Making Americans Miserable - The Atlantictheatlantic.com
- We already know what a world without work looks likeasteriskmag.substack.com
- In Praise of Idleness, by Bertrand Russellharpers.org
- Shop Class as Soulcraftthenewatlantis.com
- The Gospel of Consumption - Orion Magazineorionmagazine.org
- modern malaiseava.substack.com
- STRIKE! Magazine – On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobsstrikemag.org
- The Age of the Crisis of Work, by Madeleine Bakerharpers.org
- Manifesto against Labour | Krisiskrisis.org
- The Religion of Workism Is Making Americans Miserable - The Atlantictheatlantic.com
- At least you’re likable - Julia Willemynsjuliawillemyns.substack.com