1) In Why Work Sucks, it is claimed that "if existentialists are right--that action defines being--then we are what we do and what we do is work."
Is this correct?2) Is it also true that "executive compensation is a glaring example of the inequity that is the rule rather than the exception in the workplace?"What might the 'justification' for such inequity be?3) In Getting Gruntled, it is said that the ancient Greek work for work is derived from ponos, which means "sorrow"...and that work was something for the slaves to do while Plato and the gang sat around drinking wine and laying out the foundation for thought in the western world.Did Plato 'work'?4) Getting gruntled involves government, union, and employers...but ultimately "the challenge is to take as much control of your working life as possible and find ways to improve it."How can you take control of your own work life?5) "Before you can be successful you must first determine what success means to you."So...assuming you want to be successful...what does success mean to you?6) In The Demeaning of Work, Schwartz notes that "some may view their work as a job, some as a career, and some as a calling."How does one distinguish between these? Is the distinction useful? Meaningful? And...honestly...in which of these ways do you view your work?7) "If organizing work so that it is merely a means to consumption is good for the market system, it isn't so good for the person doing the work."Why not...according to Schwartz?8) Does modern workplace organization have more to do with efficiency and productivity, or control by the 'boss'? What evidence can you offer in support of your position on this question?9) What is meant by the "social division of labor"?
10) Applying Schwartz's reasoning to the Univeristy context, what would it mean for you to have a "meaningful" education experience?
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