![]() Women scientists are overwhelmed with expectations. "No," you say, "This isn't about money or work addiction at all! It's about job security/tenure and family-what about that?" This question sounds like the product of conflicting expectations. Most of you are probably thinking, "These theories don't apply to me-I may enjoy my new laptop and have a very strong work ethic, but work doesn't control my life." Well and good, but after reading this column, you might want to think again.Įxpectation: the double edged sword. Work addicts define themselves by their work, and will work harder and longer to avoid other pressures in their lives. Power also argues that people can become addicted to work-that work becomes the entire focus of their lives. ![]() "We buy things not simply to survive, but to celebrate, to show we care for others, to show our status, to make life easier, to bring ourselves happiness, to create an identity.to save time and to spend time." Dr. ![]() Power argues that one of the reasons Americans overwork is to consume, and that we use consumerism to define ourselves. In her article, "Caught in the Cycle of Overwork," Dr. Thomas School of Business, believes overwork is a result of the American work ethic coupled with a combination of rampant consumerism and work addiction. Sally Power, an associate professor of management at the St. But could the American work ethic alone be the driving force that causes us to put work before our families and our health?Ĭonsumerism and work addiction. These religious ideals were brought to this country by our Protestant founding fathers (and mothers!) and passed down through the generations to us. Martin Luther believed that a person's vocation was equal to a religious calling, and therefore all vocations had equal dignity in the eyes of God, John Calvin later added to these ideals his premise that a hard-working individual would inherit eternal life. The American work ethic has its roots in what is known as "the Protestant ethic," ideals developed in medieval Europe by two key religious leaders-Martin Luther and John Calvin. The American work ethic has been touted again and again in the media as the driving force of the American economy, and a standard to which other nations aspire. Some believe that it is "The American work ethic" that drives Americans to work excessively. So why do we overwork? Is it because we have no choice? Or do we?Ī great deal has been written on the peculiar American compulsion for overwork even though it is not financially, physically, or emotionally beneficial. In fact, I would hazard a guess that most women scientists lead a very harried and frenzied existence-we all overwork-both in our careers and at home. One would think that with all of the technological marvels now at our disposal-computers, cell phones, and all those other wonderful, wireless gizmos out there-we would have plenty of time on our hands, and could easily live a simple life. If the woman I met in the grocery store is any indication, it seems that as workers, our desperation remains-along with the need to seek simplicity as Thoreau did at Walden Pond in 1841. MOST MEN LIVE LIVES OF QUIET DESPERATION HOW TO"Oh, I guess all the ideas on how to reduce stress and create more time for myself and my family - I could sure use it." On my way out of the store I thought of Thoreau's plea for a simpler life, since he felt that "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." The title caught me by surprise-I thought, "Has life gotten so complex that there is actually a need for this kind of magazine?" I picked up the magazine and started to leaf through it, but before I had any more time to ponder on life's complexities and how this magazine could possibly solve them, a tired looking woman in line next to me said, "Don't you just love that magazine? I started subscribing to it last month." I told her that this was the first I had seen of this particular magazine, and asked her what she liked most about it. I was in the checkout line of my local grocery store the other day, and a magazine in the news rack caught my eye. ![]() First published in AWIS Magazine Volume 30, issue 3 (Summer 2001) ![]()
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