New Books in Anthropology

Claudia Strauss, "What Work Means: Beyond the Puritan Work Ethic" (ILR Press, 2024)

Aug 9, 2024

Claudia Strauss, a Professor of Anthropology at Pitzer College and author of A Cognitive Theory of Cultural Meaning, shares insights from her upcoming book. She challenges the stereotype of Americans as workaholics, revealing diverse perspectives on work's role in a fulfilling life. Participants express the desire for balance and dissatisfaction with traditional work ethics. Strauss discusses gender roles, the impacts of unemployment, and how perceptions of work are evolving amidst economic changes and automation, painting a rich picture of the modern work landscape.

01:01:06

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Claudia Strauss

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Quick takeaways

Claudia Strauss reveals that Americans hold diverse views on work, with many seeing it as part of a good life rather than a singular focus.

The podcast discusses how traditional gender roles influence perceptions of work and changing attitudes towards financial contributions in households.

Deep dives

Exploring Work Beyond Stereotypes

The author examines the diverse perspectives that Americans hold regarding the meaning of work, breaking away from the traditional stereotype of the workaholic. Through interviews with unemployed individuals across various occupations, the author reveals that many view work as a part of a good life, rather than its sole purpose. By highlighting experiences from both immigrant and native-born workers, the discussion showcases how cultural and socioeconomic factors shape individual definitions of meaningful work. This nuanced perspective challenges the simplified narrative that Americans are merely driven by a work-centric mindset.

Embrace Dual Incomes as the New Norm

01:41

Embrace the Good Enough Occupation

02:19

Intro

2min

Redefining Work Ethics in a Changing Landscape

13min

Navigating Work Ethic and the Quest for a Balanced Life

4min

Cultural Influences on Perceptions of Living Spaces

2min

Work, Identity, and Cultural Perspectives

21min

The Unexpected Transition: From Aspiring Singer to Accountant

2min

Redefining Work in a Changing World

12min

What Work Means: Beyond the Puritan Work Ethic (ILR Press, 2024) goes beyond the stereotypes and captures the diverse ways Americans view work as a part of a good life.

Dispelling the notion of Americans as mere workaholics, Claudia Strauss presents a more nuanced perspective. While some live to work, others prefer a diligent 9-to-5 work ethic that is conscientious but preserves time for other interests. Her participants often enjoyed their jobs without making work the focus of their life. These findings challenge laborist views of waged work as central to a good life as well as post-work theories that treat work solely as exploitative and soul-crushing.

Drawing upon the evocative stories of unemployed Americans from a wide range of occupations, from day laborers to corporate managers, both immigrant and native-born, Strauss explores how diverse Americans think about the place of work in a good life, gendered meanings of breadwinning, accepting financial support from family, friends, and the state, and what the ever-elusive American dream means to them. By considering how post-Fordist unemployment experiences diverge from joblessness earlier, What Work Means paves the way for a historically and culturally informed discussion of work meanings in a future of teleworking, greater automation, and increasing nonstandard employment.

Claudia Strauss is Professor of Anthropology at Pitzer College. She is the author of A Cognitive Theory of Cultural Meaning with Naomi Quinn and co-editor of Human Motives and Cognitive Models.

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