Americans are known for having longer work hours than their Western European contemporaries. Numerous explanations have been offered and debated – from Europe’s “culture of leisure” and differing tax rates between the U.S. and Europe to European market regulations pushed by labor unions. Yet, the idea that America is a nation of “workaholics” seems to have been popularized in the early-to-mid 1960’s, when the word “workaholic” rose in usage dramatically even prior to the divergence between the U.S. workday and that of many European nations. By the mid-1960’s, with second wave feminism in full swing and over 2 million women on the pill, the professional workforce was expanding rapidly in size and competition. With more institutions open to women’s attendance, colleges increased their enrollment in anticipation of the next generation’s career pursuits.
The Rise of Workism
Todat, however, workers and cultural critics are not too happy with the state of work in America. In 2019, Derek Thompson of the Atlantic coined the term “workism” to describe “the belief that work is…the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose” – a new religion. Jacob Blair of the Harvard Political Review writes that “in the past, most people worked as a simple means to an end; work was vital for survival. But now, work has transcended this basic connection to become…not just a means of economic production but…also a centerpiece for identity, community, and purpose.” Something similar has happened at universities, as powerful influencers push for a trade-in of the liberal arts for a more corporate view of education as a “talent pipeline.” As such, students’ lives have become more centered around the question of survival in an academic environment as well as finding a job rather than future family-building. From where they stand, marriage and family seem unattainable.
Workism and Families
Workism seems not only to have impacted the quality of life for American workers and college students, but also contributed to falling fertility rates in Nordic countries lauded for their approach to work-family policy. A new study out of the Institute for Family Studies finds that workist values and social attitudes among both men and women in these countries were strongly associated with declining birthrates. They also found that government policies which try to increase fertility by providing worker benefits like universal child care or parental leave may actually strengthen workist tendencies at the expense of families. It isn’t surprising to learn that societies with more atomization, more education, fewer children, and fewer communities would lead to an emphasis on workism. Without the roots of family and locality firmly in place, people are left to find fulfillment and rootedness in their jobs, with all the office culture, community, and productivity they provide.
Workism vs. Individual Flourishing
Contemporary American culture, media, and education all glorify the narrative that work is the most fulfilling part of one’s life. On the one hand, it would be wonderful if everyone had the skills and wherewithal to discover their lifelong passion and pursue it. But for most people, work is crucial to livelihood, and fulfilling work is a secondary benefit conferred by the privileges of education and social capital. For those who don’t “find their passion,” it is a necessity that work and family life complement each other, as it is their primary source of meaning. Contrary to the workist mentality, centering oneself around an occupation can never lead to genuine individual flourishing. Workplaces and workplace relationships are good, but a well-rounded diversity of friendships and familial relationships is far better. Working is a good in itself, but working too much at the expense of friends and family creates an imbalance in one’s life. We suspect that most individuals would be challenged but also pleasantly surprised by the positive yields of family life, which give long-lasting meaning to life regardless of independent of productivity.
