All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is no doubt that we are all conditioned in our attitudes towards work. Some of us were raised in families and societies where what we aspire to be and do as adults is of utmost importance, bringing honour (or not) to our families. Some have been raised in families where work is important but character is considered to be of greater importance or in some cases, where how much money can be earned is more important than how it is earned.
What about you? What do you think are the most ‘honourable’ jobs? Do you think that some kinds of work are dishonourable? How do you feel about government help for the unemployed? Do you believe in equal opportunity for men and women?
Are our attitudes towards work the same as our parents’ generation or do we have a different perspective on these things, especially bearing in mind our exposure to the world via the Internet and time spent in other countries where values and policies differ from in our own?
Questions we might discuss are:
- In your country, what kinds of work are generally regarded as ‘honourable’ and which are seen as ‘dishonourable’? Do you agree with the general opinion?
- Ideally, how many hours do you think that people should work in paid employment each week? How many hours do most people work each week in your own country?
- Discuss the quotation at the top of this page. What kinds of work definitely do not ‘lift up humanity’? Are those who do ‘dishonourable work’ always the ones at fault?
- Should people who have never worked be entitled to help from the government? Are there groups of people who must be supported?
- Do people leave your country to find work elsewhere? Where do they go?
- Do you think that every worker, including doctors, nurses, teachers, the police, ambulance crews and fire fighters, should have the right to go on strike?
Come and join our Talk About on Monday 22 March at 7.30 pm, share your idea and make friends.
The Zoom ID and passcode are:
ID: 981 9526 9164
Passcode: letstalk