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bhaines's review
How can a human being develop a narrative of identity and life history in a society composed of episodes and fragments?
Felt dated in places, I don't think we needed that much about why teamwork is bad. But the core bits felt true. The anecdotes were interesting. Designers who fail up whose primary skill is "letting nothing stick to them". Managers who 'facilitate' and so avoid any actual responsibility. "Occupational mobility in contemporary societies is often an illegible process."
He keeps it interesting and the historical / lit references are fun. I didn't realize Adam Smith was kind of cool.
He affirms timeless values which characterize who is he - for good, permanently, essentially. His will has become static; he is trapped in the sheer assertion of values.
Would be a good summary of his argument that people who can't construct meaningful stories out of their lives desire traditional values but can't actually demonstrate them except that "assertion of values" is a taken phrase.
Back at the trout, Rose recovered her nerve; she was again in control, until she died of lung cancer. "I suppose it was a mistake," she remarked...
monk888's review
4.0
Definitely reads like it was written 20+ years ago. But then that’s part of its charm too, in that it sidesteps the repetitive talking points that a book written today on the same topic (the sociological consequences of capitalism) might fall into. Along the way, it gives a deeper-than-average dive into Adam Smith, Max Weber and even Diderot’s Encyclopédie
wmhenrymorris's review
Sennett may be a little too nostalgic about unions and hierarchical corporate structures and some readers will not like how he frames his arguments in relation to a few people he meets and interviews, but that shouldn't get in the way of his real achievement here: Sennett brings clarity to why the emphasis on teams and flexibility and leaders who don't take ultimate responsibility but let everything slide off of them confuses, depresses and, yes, corrodes the character of workers, many of whom would prefer more clearly defined roles and processes and some real leadership from their bosses.
Ever wonder why your team leader manages to come out on top even though the project he/she was ostensibly in charge of falls to pieces?
Do you hate committees and team work where more is about how people feel and what the vision of the project should be than, you know, actually doing the work?
Ever been frustrated by new technologies that leave you dependent on others, dumb down your work and don't really produce a superior product to the old way of doing things?
Sennett explains what that's all about. And he does it well. He doesn't provide any major solutions. He doesn't go super in depth with statistics and trends (although there is some of that). But he captures the general malaise of many a moder worker and manages to knead and shape it into a coherent narrative.
Ever wonder why your team leader manages to come out on top even though the project he/she was ostensibly in charge of falls to pieces?
Do you hate committees and team work where more is about how people feel and what the vision of the project should be than, you know, actually doing the work?
Ever been frustrated by new technologies that leave you dependent on others, dumb down your work and don't really produce a superior product to the old way of doing things?
Sennett explains what that's all about. And he does it well. He doesn't provide any major solutions. He doesn't go super in depth with statistics and trends (although there is some of that). But he captures the general malaise of many a moder worker and manages to knead and shape it into a coherent narrative.
kschaefe's review
4.0
Anyone who has read any career website or even glanced at Linked In articles has probably become (over) familiar with the importance placed these days on teamwork, flexibility, broad networking, and personal branding.
Richard Sennett argues that this focus is a direct consequence of the way we now think about capitalism, and further argues that this mindset causes fundamental problems with the way we see ourselves. Put starkly, he suggests that the "older" virtues of character: loyalty, responsibility, accountability, honesty, steadfastness of purposes, etc. were beneficial and valued in the "old capitalism," but are impossible in today's. In the era of the "big corporation," these characteristics that benefitted both the worker and the corporation and were rewarded; while work in that era could be mind-numbing and hierarchical, it did offer the worker a sense of "forward narrative,' and a sense that the same virtues were valued at work and in the community. However, due to the short-term focus of today's world, these same virtues are a detriment when applied to many jobs, and this disconnect causes many workers to have a character crisis, as they cannot integrate the work and non-work parts of their lives.
Sennett makes an argument that the short-term focus and requirements for flexibility that preclude development of long-term relationships and loyalty lead directly to the rise in behaviors that are now rewarded: risk-taking, teamwork and superficial cohesion, youth, and nonstop branding and networking. All of these issues are in conflict with character issues of loyalty and responsibility, caution, respect for age and wisdom, and modesty.
He also points to a deeper problem: that this new 'transient" work world--especially one with a "winner-take-all" mentality, by definition leaves many people periodically unemployed and feeling that they have failed. While the firing may be "nothing personal," and not truly a measure of the worker's abilities or effort, American culture has always taken work as a measure of merit and personal responsibility as a virtue. The rapid changes, especially in an environment where "the problem" is not immediately obvious or anything that can be corrected or even discussed, leave individuals trying to make meaning out of randomness. Some try to "take responsibility" for something that they weren't responsible for (usually saying something like, " I should have known…") and are at high risk for depression; others become disengaged or experts in making sure that "nothing sticks to them."
This book is an excellent companion to "AntiFragile" (the other book I am currently reading). In this book, the author argues that, in the modern world, the way to thrive is to set up one's life so that the basics are taken care of, and then reorganize the rest of your life so that random chance is a GOOD thing (sometimes you get great rewards, and the rest of the time it doesn't matter.) Nice if you can arrange it….as Sennett's book obliquely points out.
This is an older essay/book (1998), so the specific examples about workplace structures have changed a bit. However, the basic question--what does a focus on flexible, short-term employment do to people's sense of self and character--remains relevant to today's world.
It's a good read for those starting to think about the relationship between work and personal character, or for those wanting a quick (non-comprehensive) overview of philosophical and religious thought about that question. Unfortunately, while he details the problem thoroughly, and makes a reasonable case for what is going on, the chapter on "solutions" is very thin.
Richard Sennett argues that this focus is a direct consequence of the way we now think about capitalism, and further argues that this mindset causes fundamental problems with the way we see ourselves. Put starkly, he suggests that the "older" virtues of character: loyalty, responsibility, accountability, honesty, steadfastness of purposes, etc. were beneficial and valued in the "old capitalism," but are impossible in today's. In the era of the "big corporation," these characteristics that benefitted both the worker and the corporation and were rewarded; while work in that era could be mind-numbing and hierarchical, it did offer the worker a sense of "forward narrative,' and a sense that the same virtues were valued at work and in the community. However, due to the short-term focus of today's world, these same virtues are a detriment when applied to many jobs, and this disconnect causes many workers to have a character crisis, as they cannot integrate the work and non-work parts of their lives.
Sennett makes an argument that the short-term focus and requirements for flexibility that preclude development of long-term relationships and loyalty lead directly to the rise in behaviors that are now rewarded: risk-taking, teamwork and superficial cohesion, youth, and nonstop branding and networking. All of these issues are in conflict with character issues of loyalty and responsibility, caution, respect for age and wisdom, and modesty.
He also points to a deeper problem: that this new 'transient" work world--especially one with a "winner-take-all" mentality, by definition leaves many people periodically unemployed and feeling that they have failed. While the firing may be "nothing personal," and not truly a measure of the worker's abilities or effort, American culture has always taken work as a measure of merit and personal responsibility as a virtue. The rapid changes, especially in an environment where "the problem" is not immediately obvious or anything that can be corrected or even discussed, leave individuals trying to make meaning out of randomness. Some try to "take responsibility" for something that they weren't responsible for (usually saying something like, " I should have known…") and are at high risk for depression; others become disengaged or experts in making sure that "nothing sticks to them."
This book is an excellent companion to "AntiFragile" (the other book I am currently reading). In this book, the author argues that, in the modern world, the way to thrive is to set up one's life so that the basics are taken care of, and then reorganize the rest of your life so that random chance is a GOOD thing (sometimes you get great rewards, and the rest of the time it doesn't matter.) Nice if you can arrange it….as Sennett's book obliquely points out.
This is an older essay/book (1998), so the specific examples about workplace structures have changed a bit. However, the basic question--what does a focus on flexible, short-term employment do to people's sense of self and character--remains relevant to today's world.
It's a good read for those starting to think about the relationship between work and personal character, or for those wanting a quick (non-comprehensive) overview of philosophical and religious thought about that question. Unfortunately, while he details the problem thoroughly, and makes a reasonable case for what is going on, the chapter on "solutions" is very thin.
cintiandrade's review against another edition
4.0
Citado pelo [a:Joel Birman|882762|Joel Birman|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] no maravilhoso [b:O sujeito na contemporaneidade|23455080|O sujeito na contemporaneidade|Joel Birman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503405344s/23455080.jpg|43016501], "A corrosão do caráter" trata da fragmentação do sujeito contemporâneo a partir da fragilização das relações com o trabalho. Excelente.
miniingrid's review against another edition
Lo leí hace siglos en la carrera, para una de las asignaturas de Psicología de las organizaciones y se me hizo pesado no, lo siguiente -_-
Supongo que en esa época le cogí manía a esa rama de la Psicología (que probablemente tuviera que ver con el enfoque que le daban en la UAB y las pocas asignaturas que se le dedicaban en la licenciatura).
No sé si está en casa de mis padres o se quedó en casa de mi primer ex (con el 95% de mi biblioteca). Supongo que ahora lo leería con una perspectiva muy diferente, pero meh.
Supongo que en esa época le cogí manía a esa rama de la Psicología (que probablemente tuviera que ver con el enfoque que le daban en la UAB y las pocas asignaturas que se le dedicaban en la licenciatura).
No sé si está en casa de mis padres o se quedó en casa de mi primer ex (con el 95% de mi biblioteca). Supongo que ahora lo leería con una perspectiva muy diferente, pero meh.
wyvernfriend's review
4.0
work in the new capitalism… by Richard Sennett
I found it an interesting read about how people are finding it hard to cope with the way work is being presented and the worship of youth over older and experience. Flexibility is one thing but feeling valued in your job and that there is some security is another.
It isn't really my area of expertise but I did find it interesting to read and it did solidify some of my ideas about how work is going.
I found it an interesting read about how people are finding it hard to cope with the way work is being presented and the worship of youth over older and experience. Flexibility is one thing but feeling valued in your job and that there is some security is another.
It isn't really my area of expertise but I did find it interesting to read and it did solidify some of my ideas about how work is going.
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