I’m teaching foreign students these days and they experience our attachment to market values as alien and alienating. They are especially sensitive to they way our culture sets one against another in a zero sum contest for the prize. No they didn’t articulate their culture shock in neo-Marxian terms but their palpable reactions to our brand of rugged individualism, marketplace competition and a blindness to community/social values and needs alarming. I respond with a dialectical “Yes” so I might learn what glimpses of metro NYC gave rise to their sentiments. For them it’s written right across our society. They rarely get the whole picture and the unwritten policies that divide us. They do get, whatever their take may be, that it makes them uncomfortable. As a society, we have plenty of work to do to realize money is but a means and ar from being an end in itself. We see it as a work-life balance. They see it as harmful and hurtful. Thanks for the post.
It is interesting and important that you can draw these insights from your direct contact with your students. Given that I also teach in multicultural environments, do you notice that these observations preponderate in some cultures more than others? What about gender differences?
Neither national origin nor gender appear to be a factor. We claim to be a classless society but we aren’t. Our social divide is between the haves and have nots. Students see that clearly. How wealth accumulates is something they do not see; they don’t pickup structural racism or structural wealth inequities. They can’t imagine a society believes that market based values is all there is or should be. The same for governments that govern least govern best. Etc. it just doesn’t make sense to them or why we do enjoy European quality public transportation. We are so wealthy as a nation by their standards. Yet we have a visibly hurting housing and family food security issues. They see the homeless in the streets of Manhattan on their outings and scrat their heads. They see it but don’t get it. Nor do I
If they see the the social divide between have and have nots it is not clear to me why they don't pick up structural wealth inequalities. Perhaps I am missing a point. Please explain
Bravo! My father taught me many years ago to find work that I really enjoyed. In doing so, I would excel, and that financial success would follow. He cautioned me against pursuing money for its own sake, especially if that meant performing odious tasks. Better, he predicted, to be happy and comfortable than to be wealthy and miserable.
I am happy to say that I followed Dad's advice and pursued a career path that brought pleasure and fulfillment. He gave other important advice which I truly regret not having followed, but such is the lot of son's relationship with their fathers...
My father was perhaps my most influential mentor and I miss him dearly. He would have agreed wholeheartedly with you and Dr. West about the worth of non-market values.
I’m teaching foreign students these days and they experience our attachment to market values as alien and alienating. They are especially sensitive to they way our culture sets one against another in a zero sum contest for the prize. No they didn’t articulate their culture shock in neo-Marxian terms but their palpable reactions to our brand of rugged individualism, marketplace competition and a blindness to community/social values and needs alarming. I respond with a dialectical “Yes” so I might learn what glimpses of metro NYC gave rise to their sentiments. For them it’s written right across our society. They rarely get the whole picture and the unwritten policies that divide us. They do get, whatever their take may be, that it makes them uncomfortable. As a society, we have plenty of work to do to realize money is but a means and ar from being an end in itself. We see it as a work-life balance. They see it as harmful and hurtful. Thanks for the post.
It is interesting and important that you can draw these insights from your direct contact with your students. Given that I also teach in multicultural environments, do you notice that these observations preponderate in some cultures more than others? What about gender differences?
Neither national origin nor gender appear to be a factor. We claim to be a classless society but we aren’t. Our social divide is between the haves and have nots. Students see that clearly. How wealth accumulates is something they do not see; they don’t pickup structural racism or structural wealth inequities. They can’t imagine a society believes that market based values is all there is or should be. The same for governments that govern least govern best. Etc. it just doesn’t make sense to them or why we do enjoy European quality public transportation. We are so wealthy as a nation by their standards. Yet we have a visibly hurting housing and family food security issues. They see the homeless in the streets of Manhattan on their outings and scrat their heads. They see it but don’t get it. Nor do I
If they see the the social divide between have and have nots it is not clear to me why they don't pick up structural wealth inequalities. Perhaps I am missing a point. Please explain
Bravo! My father taught me many years ago to find work that I really enjoyed. In doing so, I would excel, and that financial success would follow. He cautioned me against pursuing money for its own sake, especially if that meant performing odious tasks. Better, he predicted, to be happy and comfortable than to be wealthy and miserable.
I am happy to say that I followed Dad's advice and pursued a career path that brought pleasure and fulfillment. He gave other important advice which I truly regret not having followed, but such is the lot of son's relationship with their fathers...
My father was perhaps my most influential mentor and I miss him dearly. He would have agreed wholeheartedly with you and Dr. West about the worth of non-market values.
How wonderful, especially at this stage of life, to have warm memories of your father. It sounds like a gift of inestimable value.