[MD] Where have all the values gone?

[Erin]

"Arlo J. Bensinger" <ajb102 at psu.edu> wrote:    [Arlo previously]
A long, long time ago, Ant made the astute observation that while a 
Buddhist-like craftsman could likely find craft in turning screws on an 
assembly line 10 hours a day for little pay, for the vast majority of 
the rest of us, can we really "identify" with an activity such as that? 

[Erin]
I think you make it hard to identify with that because of advice that those jobs
are so awful, shouldn't be put up with, are brainwashed, etc. Instead of the
assemblylinesman turning their work into a craft they should start their own
business or whatnot..

[Arlo]
Are you supporting the idea that "identification" with one's labor (in the ZMM
sense) is mostly "up to the individual"? That is, the goal should be to work to
find identification with assembly-line work, rather than rethink labor
practices that have created barriers to such identification? Do you feel such
barriers (as I described) are fictional?
   
   
  Erin:  It's not that I don't think the employer has responsibilities to its workers but I think there is danger in underestimating individuals role in it and that you make it hard for people to identify with their work when you tell them their job is crap.    I just got this impression that if said an American Christian assembly worker treated his work as a craft.....etc. etc.  the reaction would be poor brainwashed shlob putting up with corp America.    But because it is a Buddhist-like suddenly contentment with ones job is a beautiful thing.  

ARLO:  Also, you asked about my feelings on a day of solitude. I get the feeling you ask because you have a hint of belief still that I equate public interaction with good, and private time with bad. On the contrary, I find solitude (or "reflexive" time) highly valuable and necessary. 
   
  ARLO:  Sadly, and this takes me in
another direction (towards your distinction between "chit chat" and "intimate
conversation", one I find very worthwhile) I think that mostly (on a cultural
level) when we are alone or in a context where intimate and reflexive dialogue
could occur, we tend to fill it with "chit chat" by means of telelvision.
   
  ERIN: It's not that I think you make it good/bad thing. It's that you put focus one one.  Why not mention the ways public-space is being degraded by chit-chat...is that less sad to you? 
   
  ARLO :  Initimate dialogue should/can/does occur in both the expansive (public) and reflexive (private) dialogues of our daily activity. in both dialogues as well. 
   
  Erin: Agreed...I think the the private/public split is less revealing than the chit/chat--more meaningful conversation.  Do I think most conversations private and public fall in the chit-chat. Yes.   Is this due to some big shift? Not convinced yet.
   
  BTW if you are in you are at home engaging in discourse with people around the world on the internet or something else is that private engagement or public engagement.
   
  ARLO: A day of solitude, ideally hoping it would foster 24
hours of "private-intimate" dialogue would be a good thing.

ERIN: Yes agree, the castle of solitude isn't so haunting. 




		
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