Facing the American Work Culture

American culture is an interesting mess of contradictions. People claim it’s a melting pot of cultures, but feel threatened that Spanish-speakers may no longer be a minority. Breastfeeding is praised for being healthiest for growing infants, but passersby are disgusted to see it in public. Teen girls are sexualized in clothing, advertisements, and pop culture, but often lack proper safe sex education, even into college. One of my favorite contradictions, one that I face every day now, is the American work culture.

There’s an unspoken assumption that in order to be a productive member of society, you have to work. It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you are busy. In ancient times, there were scholars that did nothing but read, study and discuss, bettering humanity by gaining more knowledge. Today, what would you think of someone who stayed in college for years, earning degree after degree? Most Americans would probably consider him to be a drain on society.

Take, for example, a ticket-ripper at a movie theater. If a high school student told you that’s what he did, would you be proud of his good work ethic and his contribution to society? But wait, couldn’t his job be easily replaced by a machine? Why not have a scanner that displays the theater number and says “Enjoy your movie”? Wouldn’t this student’s time be better spent in an after-school club, a sports team, or a band, rather than a repetitive, minimum-wage job?

In America, how much money one makes and how many hours one works often define success. It’s no coincidence that the U.S. is the only first world country with no mandated paid parental leave. Creating a family and spending time with them is second to getting a paycheck. This creates immense pressure to find personal fulfillment in the workplace, turning a dull job into soul-crushing busywork. Meanwhile, stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Walgreens are open 24/7, which goes to show how many people work so long, it’s profitable for these places to be open in the earliest hours.

So when people ask me what my plans are after graduation, I’m feeling far more pressure than is probably necessary. I’m not opposed to work; I’ve been doing schoolwork my whole life. Every year, someone told me what to do next: now you go to high school, now you go to college. But what is it that I’m preparing for? A lot of people asked if I’m going to grad school, so I guess I’m supposed to still be preparing for something. After all this time, nobody taught me how to find fulfillment in all the schoolwork I did. After each test, it was always time to go to the next thing.

I guess all I want, all everyone wants, is a job that I don’t dread going to every day, one that gives a sense of accomplishment and enough time to spend with family and friends. Is that too much to ask? Am I “entitled” for wanting even that much? They don’t teach you these things in school.