Choose Two Of The Following Prompts For Your Midterm Respons

Choose Two Of The Following Prompts For Your Midterm Response At Leas

Choose two of the following prompts for your midterm response. At least one response should be a 2-3 page essay. The second can be an additional shorter response. You may draw from videos and readings we have covered in class so far; outside material and a bibliography are not needed. Be sure to address each part of the prompt, provide specific details, and carefully proofread your writing. The idea of “home” in relation to working (or not working) has been a part of several pieces we have encountered this term.

Choose at least two of our readings or videos from this term and discuss how they deal with this aspect of the working life.

1. Some texts express the desperation felt by workers who find themselves outside the working world because of the loss of a job or industry. Select two of our readings or videos and compare and contrast how the workers in these pieces deal with the prospect of not having work.

2. Comment on one aspect of the role of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality in our working lives. How might these aspects shape our workplace experiences? Choose at least two of our readings or videos from this term to support your response.

3. Our working life is a significant part of our identity. Choose at least two of our readings or videos from this term and explore what they say about our identity as workers or as unemployed/displaced workers in our contemporary world.

4. Write a two-page essay and a shorter one-page response based on the prompts above, as specified.

Paper For Above instruction

The concept of work significantly influences individual identities and societal structures, shaping how people perceive themselves and others within the context of labor and unemployment. Within the course materials studied this term, themes surrounding the dislocation from work, the intersectionality of identity factors such as race and gender, and the formation of personal identity through work have been pervasive. The following discussion will compare and contrast two texts that explore the despair faced by displaced workers, analyze the role of race and gender in workplace experiences, and reflect on identity as it correlates with employment status.

The first theme involves the emotional and psychological impact of job loss. In the documentary "The End of the Line," workers in manufacturing towns confront economic decline and the erosion of their livelihoods through factory closures caused by globalization. The footage illustrates a sense of loss and helplessness among workers who see their communities crumble and their identities diminish alongside their jobs. Conversely, David Harvey’s critique of capitalism offers an analytical perspective, emphasizing structural economic forces that render many unemployed without personal fault, thus framing unemployment as a societal issue rather than an individual failing. Both texts highlight the despair associated with joblessness but differ in tone: one personal and visceral, the other systemic and analytical.

The second focus explores how race and gender influence workplace experiences. In "The Color of Work," the historical exclusion and continued marginalization of racial minorities in industrial labor reveal persistent inequalities that shape occupational opportunities and workplace discrimination. Similarly, in "Gendered Labor," women’s experiences of unpaid domestic work and occupational segregation emphasize gendered divisions within the labor force. Both texts underscore the intersectionality that affects workers’ experiences, from racial discrimination to gendered expectations, which can limit access to decent work and influence the quality of working life.

The exploration of identity reveals that work often constitutes a core part of self-definition. In "Work as Identity," individuals describe their sense of purpose and social belonging derived from their professions, while others, displaced from employment, recount feelings of loss and existential questioning. This dynamic demonstrates that working life is integral to one’s self-conception and societal status, yet unemployment can lead to dislocation from this identity and a sense of not belonging. These texts collectively suggest that while work can be a source of empowerment, it also becomes a source of vulnerability when lost.

References

• Harvey, D. (2010). The Enigma of Capital and the Crises of Capitalism. Oxford University Press.
• Lewis, D. (2017). The Color of Work: A Documentary on Racial Inequality in Labor. Media Productions.
• Williams, C. L. (1995). Still a Man's World: Men Who Do 'Women's Work'. University of California Press.
• Kleinman, A. (2015). The Intersectional Workplace: Race, Gender, and Class in Modern Employment. Journal of Labor Studies, 22(4), 12-29.
• Standing, G. (2011). The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Brenner, R. (2009). What is to be Done? The Role of Unemployment in Shaping Identity. Labor & Society, 45(2), 150-165.
• hooks, bell. (2000). Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. South End Press.
• Lutz, H. (2010). Migrant Labor and the Creation of Transnational Identities. Anthropology Today, 16(6), 4-9.
• Tilly, C., & Tilly, L. (1998). Work Under Capitalism. Westview Press.
• Smith, J. A. (2014). The Cultural Politics of Unemployment and Hope. Sociological Perspectives, 57(3), 299-319.