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| Cincinnati Union Terminal (1993) by Winold Reiss |
Work that involves hard, physical labor can be both "miserable" and "satisfying" (44). What Smarsh does not like about jobs that require hard physical labor is that they are devalued by society at large, and, as she puts it, "A society that considers your body dispensable will inflict a violence upon you" (45). As examples of this violence, she refers to the high cost of healthcare, corporate violations of worker-safety regulations, and a legal system that favors those who can afford expensive lawyers.
Whether or not blue-collar jobs require as much brainpower as white-collar jobs, do you think jobs that require greater brainpower should be given a higher value and be more richly paid than jobs that require less brainpower?
Should jobs that require more effort--whether physical or mental--be given a higher value and be more richly paid?
Do you think our current system values work fairly?
Are the most valuable jobs the most richly rewarded? If not, what could be done to change that?
I believe jobs that require more effort, physically or mentally, should be given higher value and more pay. I do believe our current system is corrupt. We pay millions and millions to athletes while our servicemen and women aren't paid nearly enough for their amount of effort given and the amount of risk in their jobs. While at one time, they were rewarded with respect, they no longer have that. In fact, many Americans look down on them. Men and women in the oilfield have very hard jobs, and many people look down on them as well, as if the military, or oilfield, were their only options, or as if their jobs are any less important. I think we should start by raising our children to respect people, no matter their job, wage, or income. In the end I believe people are most important, and it is how we interact with people and impact their lives that really matters. I do not believe money is the issue, but respecting people of all varieties, whether they are in a different, race, class, sex, or tax-bracket.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! The people that defend our country should really have more respect than our athletes. Our freedom should be more important than our entertainment. Also, I have noticed that people treat the workers of fast food restaurants with little to no respect. What the customers fail to realize is the workers could be working their way through college and one day be there boss.
DeleteI believe that it depends on the job and what kind of work the person is doing. A supervisor that requires more training and schooling should be paid more than the unpaid worker that they supervise. My answer is the same with jobs that require higher effort. It really depends on the job, and what the requirements are. That being said, I don’t think the current system values are very fair. The most valuable jobs aren’t the ones that are the most richly rewarded. Teachers are paid very little compared to the amount of work they do to prepare children for life and for how long they spend with the children in the classroom. I believe we should stop devaluing the people that do the hardest jobs, even if they aren’t the most recognized jobs, and provide the jobs that aren’t paid the best for what they do with more money.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree jobs that require further education should be valued over a simple McDonald's job. But jobs that require physical labor or the ones that keep our country running should also get the same amount of respect. We all too often overlook our blue collar workers who do the same amount of work or even more work. A veteran who fought for our country comes back and can barely support himself whereas a secretary's salary from some big shot company could feed his whole family for a year. I also think jobs that are more mentally or physically demanding should be held at a higher regard than they are. Our most valuable jobs are not our most richly rewarded. A cancer surgeon can get paid around $500,000 a year but a pro athlete can make millions in just one season. The athletes, someone who is here solely for our entertainment, are paid ten times more than someone who saves lives daily and that is why I think we need to fix the way our current system is set up.
ReplyDeleteIt would be wishful thinking to want everyone to be happy with the wages they’re receiving. Do I think blue-collar workers are working too hard? I do. Do I think white-collar workers are being paid too much? I don’t. I googled how much wheat farmers make; the average came out to $75,790. The average salary for a doctor is $223,000. But think about schooling, and insurance, and the emotional toll goes into being a doctor. I’m not saying being a farmer isn’t rewarding, but people getting mad at people who didn’t work as hard physically but worked harder mentally is upsetting. Teachers who don’t fall into either blue or white-collar are paid an average of $25,700. Why is that fair, they are working just as hard to make sure kids dreams can become a reality, but they don’t matter? If the question is about respect, ask yourself if you would yell at a farmer or a teacher and I bet we all know the answer.
ReplyDeleteA majority of white-collar workers do tend to spend more time in schooling and potentially acquiring more debt, so to think that they should get paid more is a reasonable thought. On the flip side though, Blue-collar workers from an early age are working longer shifts and providing services and goods to the economy that are required by the nation to run at a high rate. Should the rate of pay be the same no, but the gap between the two should be closer, because they both go in hand, white-collared job holders can't thrive without the blue-collar workers, and the white-collar workers are needed to help the blue-collared businesses when something comes about. The schooling, practice that it takes, and the time spent getting paid less to eventually get to the high rate of pay that some white-collared professionals can make in my opinion puts this group ahead of the blue-collared workers.
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ReplyDeletePeople who work at jobs that require more brainpower, such as blue-collar jobs and white-collar jobs alike, should receive a higher pay than a job that requires minimal effort. I do not think that our current value systems work fairly, not only regarding money but also regarding respect. Although I believe that blue-collar jobs can require just as much brainpower as white-collar jobs, not everyone agrees. I can recall many instances in which people have frowned upon a young adult not going to college to further their education. I do not think that college is a practical option for everyone. For example, if a person is not going to apply themselves and work towards a goal, then I do not particularly believe that that person should waste their money or their time. However, many people in society do not look upon blue-collar jobs, such as framing or plumbing, as honorable careers, which baffles me considering that these workers are always in demand. Although a problem with pay largely remains amongst different jobs throughout society, I think that the bigger issue is the amount of esteem, or lack thereof, associated with them. No matter what job someone does, whether that be prescribing medicine or flipping burgers, a person should always receive respect.
ReplyDelete-Payton Hodges
When it comes to wages it can be really hard to fairly assess each job's value because there are so many factors to consider, from the cost of schooling to the physical toll manual labor jobs take on the worker's body. People who attend college often accumulate a bit of debt along the way, so some might say that their higher pay is earned. Manual laborers often damage their bodies while working but are unable to retire because of their lack of savings. Blue collar workers are majorly underpaid and often struggle to grow financially due to their low wages. Respect should be given to a person regardless of whether they are your server at Applebee's or the dentist pulling your tooth. People should respect each other as a default because we as humans owe each other at least that much.
ReplyDelete-Dixie Redman
In our society, there is a mentality that a person must go to college in order to be successful. Many trades are in high demand because of this problem. There are few that want to become plumbers because of the poor social status; however, someone still has to do this job. Jobs that require more brainpower should be paid more; however, jobs in high demand should also be given a high value and more generous salary. Although, the trade worker should still be a high paid job because of the codes they have to remember and strenuous labor they are required to do, a doctor should be and is paid more than an electrician not only because the medical field requires more intellect and difficult schooling, but also for the fact that health is a necessity. The majority of the time our system values work based on the needs of our society, whether it is hard labor or earned intellect, and I believe this is fair; however, helping others in anyway is rewarding no matter what the job.
ReplyDelete-Kiley Watkins
Although most blue-collar jobs do not require as much brain power as white-collar jobs, they are equally important in society. Without blue-collar jobs that require manual labor, people maintaining white-collar jobs would not have a desk to sit behind, clothes to wear, or a car to drive. Jobs that require hard physical work are often not rewarded as they should be. For example, construction workers who work in the scorching heat and the bitter cold get paid on average, $34,170 a year. Meanwhile, a teacher makes, on average, $42,460 a year. From a different point of view, a teacher has also worked hard to get a college degree and should be rewarded with higher pay.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our educational systems are built to expand the minds of those who are willing to seek higher education to further their paychecks, yet how can one do so without the funds to merely cover tuition. Some of our most cherished careers, such as teachers and farmers, are highly underpaid and under-appreciated by society as a whole. Farmers put food on our tables and teachers shape the minds of our children, but they are treated economically as though they are expendable. As Sarah Smarsh pointed out, how can someone emerge from generations of poverty and debt to seek a better life when it requires money that is unattainable? I feel that our economic system is tilted highly in favor of the rich while those who work much harder are often left out of the wealth that they deserve.
ReplyDelete-Macy Phillips
Although white collar jobs in the big scheme of things do tend to pay more in the long run, sometimes blue collar jobs also can bring in a lot a steady and hefty income. This income that some blue collar workers have can be just as beneficial to families as a white collar worker’s family would. White collar workers have to attend more schooling than other workers, because their job tends to be more intuitive. This is why some white collar jobs do tend to pay more than most blue collar jobs would. The fees from college also all have to be paid back so sometimes the pay from a white collar worker has to go towards this every month. I believe that the reason white collar workers are usually paid more is not only because of the brain power but also because they are more academically inclined in the field that they are working in, unlike the blue collar workers.
ReplyDeleteWorkers should get paid based off how valuable they are to their employer. If they're job is very difficult and not many people do it, they will get paid more because the amount of people in that profession is low. If a person works a job that is very easy, they will not make money because they can be easily replaced. This is the case for both blue and white collared jobs. A welder will make much better job than a secretary even though welding is a blue collar job and being a secretary is a white collar job. White collar jobs get paid more because many of those jobs require an education or background in that field. Which means the pool of employees for those jobs are smaller than blue collar jobs. Many blue collar jobs do not require previous training and it's easy to pick up the skills needed to be a successful worker. With a few exceptions, white collar jobs make more than blue collar jobs. Not because people think they're less important, but because the job market will always pay based of supply and demand.
ReplyDelete-Justin Chitty
Honestly, I do not think our current system values work very fairly at all. In society, blue-collared workers seem to be overlooked or less appreciated than the white-collar workers. This is a corrupt way of looking at our hard workers. I got to present to the National Department of Labor about the need for vocational trades all around the country. One of the things we touched on was that though the blue-collared workers often put more physical effort into their jobs but suffer from a lower pay grade. This is wrong in my opinion. Yes, we do need the office jobs that keep this world running, but we also need the people that are risking their well-being by working out in the fields harvesting our nation's crops, fixing electrical lines that power our world, and building the modern buildings that those who have office jobs tend to use. However, is there a system that we as a country could put into place that would allow us to all value each other's work fairly? It is awfully hard to please everyone.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the American system of capitalism was built on the promise that a person’s hard work would pay off. The expression “hard work pays off” would imply that a person would receive some sort of reward for their actions. Given that some jobs require more mental or physical effort, I believe that those people should be paid higher amounts than those who are less ambitious. The current system does not value hard work fairly as it is common that we see people be paid more for use of their brain than use of their hands. It is impossible to determine which requires more effort as that is up for interpretation. Therefore, one should not have a higher pay grade than the other. One of the questions that Smarsh poses in her book is “Do people who have less work harder for what little they have than those who are on the opposite end of the class spectrum?” Throughout her book and throughout my life, I have noticed that that answer is primarily yes. So, the jobs that have more “value” or “effort” put into them are quite often those that are less monetarily rewarding. I believe the only way to fix that problem is to adjust the pay scale to where both more physically and mentally taxing jobs are given higher wages. I believe direct pay adjustment for jobs requiring more effort would be the only way to help people understand the value of them, because sadly our society has been shaped to value the dollar and to respect those making more of it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that jobs that require more brainpower should be paid more than the one's with less brainpower because their having to do more. I also believe that jobs that require extra schooling, more effort, physical labor, and extra training are jobs that should be paid more instead of ones that do minimal work. I don't think that our current system works fairly since athletes are being paid millions to play a sport while men and women who serve our country aren't being paid enough to put their lives on the line. I don't think that the most valuable jobs are the most rewarded either. I believe that they could look at the current wages and change the wages to what they deserve. Teachers are helping kids with their dreams and helping them further their learning but don't get paid enough to do that.
ReplyDelete-Aimee Wood
The salary for jobs should state with a basic wage that will allow people to live. The increase in this wage should be determined by the employee's knowledge, such as degrees, and experience in the field. Doctors are paid several times the amount a farmer is being paid. Both individuals provide life. The farmer provides food, so others will not starve. A doctor may save a life, or make life more pleasant for individuals. Both occupations require skill and knowledge of the field. However, doctors a required to go through years of schooling, whereas farmers tend to learn through their family. However, one of the main reasons doctors make several times more than farmers is based on how society views the occupations. Doctor are considered to be elites and intellectuals. However, farmers are considered to be uneducated, hillbillies doing whatever they please. Society's view on differing occupations creates a pay scale. If the job is highly respected, then the wage is higher. If the job is not respected, then the wage is at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteFor me this is a difficult question to approach. I believe that jobs that require high levels of education should receive a higher pay as a way of incentivizing or rewarding people for their training. Likewise, I have also worked tough physical jobs like farm work, and I know from experience that those jobs are not worth the time if the pay does not reflect your hard work. Jobs like that often do not require schooling but the pay has to be high in order to draw in workers for such a physically demanding job. I feel like it is a balancing game that depends on the job and the demand for those to fill those jobs.
ReplyDeleteRight now, our economy is structured into a system where high effort and high reward converge into separate directions. Wage is determined less by the skill and effort put in and rather by the monetary rewards created by the worker. Actors gain millions for movies and receive millions in return, while construction workers arguably work harder and receive less because their work is seen as producing less. We need to reorient our economy into a system where hard work is rewarded by larger wage growths. The question of how to redesign the economy remains shaky, but we must continue to work towards a solution.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is unfair for "white-collar" jobs to be considered wealthy, more mentally challenging jobs. "blue-collar" jobs can sometimes be jsut as or even more mentally taxing for a human, it just depends on a persons mental capacity before it becomes to heavy a burden to continue the mental task. So for the question of if jobs that require more brain power should be paid more, I would have to answer that with a very stern no. I do however believe that jobs that require the heavy combination of physical and mental effort should be paid a higher value than others that just really have to use only one or the other. An example that I can think of is football and military. I have heard countless stories about how football players get paid millions and millions of dollars per year to be in a sport where it is a lot of physical activity and not a whole lot of mental thinking. Now I will admit, that there are some athletes who do have to think while on the field, like a quarterback. However, the majority of the game is just seeing which team is the strongest and can run the fastest to get a ball to a certain point of the field. My other comparison to that is the military. Now, since I only have my stepfather to go off of, I believe that America's military is grossly underpaid in order for them to sacrifice their own lives to protect our own. My stepfather was stationed in Vietnam and continues to work for the Air Force to this day, and he has told me that he still has not made the same amount that some of these famous athletes have made. being in the military takes both physical strength and a sharp mind in order to function sufficiently in the military. It is just hard to understand why we do not give more money to people who have to exert much more combined effort than someone just exerting either mental or physical effort.
ReplyDelete-Sam Pratt
The idea is that, if you work hard, it will pay off and you will get ahead in life. If that's the case, mental and physical work should be valued the same and paid based on the intensity level required by the job.
ReplyDeleteThe current system does not work fairly at all. Brainpower is valued much more than physical labor and this is most obviously seen in the amount that is earned from the amount of work and hours put in weekly.
I do think the most valuable jobs in society's eyes are richly award (ie. doctors, lawyers, accountants). And although these jobs are important, less valued jobs like teaching are just as, if not more, important as the richly awarded ones. So in actuality, jobs like these should be valued more and richly paid. The importance of each job should be assessed and paid appropriately.
Most times, those richly rewarded jobs that require high level of education would always pay more, mostly because it costs a fortune to go to college. While i agree that they should be payed more, those who work menial jobs should not be under payed. it is a pity because the opposite prevails because the society is not structured that way. How ever, in cases like athletes and movie stars they earn way too much than they should ordinarily. There are thousands of people who have way more potential than them but have no opportunity to shine. CEO's should not earn six figures while people who work behind the scenes be payed very little.
ReplyDeleteChioma Ukwu
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