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In an interview, anthropologist David Graeber answers questions about the modern workplace and the purposeless jobs that fill it.
Not since Dilbert has truth been spoken to power in soulless work settings. But the cartoon character's successor may be David Graeber. In 2013 he achieved viral fame with cubicle zombies everywhere after he published a short essay on the prevalence of work that had no social or economic reason to exist, which he called "bullshit jobs". The wide attention seemed to confirm his thesis.
Mr Graeber, an anthropologist at the London School of Economics, has expanded on the ideas in a recent book. He responded to five questions from The Economist's Open Future initiative. He rails against "feudal retinues of basically useless flunkies." As he puts it: "People want to feel they are transforming the world around them in a way that makes some kind a positive difference."
[...] One thing it shows is that the whole "lean and mean" ideal is applied much more to productive workers than to office cubicles. It's not at all uncommon for the same executives who pride themselves on downsizing and speed-ups on the shop floor, or in delivery and so forth, to use the money saved at least in part to fill their offices with feudal retinues of basically useless flunkies.
From The Economist : Bullshit jobs and the yoke of managerial feudalism
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 02 2018, @05:03AM (6 children)
Dilbert is Truth. Stop fighting it. Maybe find a small company where productivity matters, but you will probably work more for less money.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday July 02 2018, @06:11AM (5 children)
For white collar jobs maybe. In skilled trades good productivity leads pretty much directly to more money in your pocket. Management in the trades generally aren't worthless paper pushers but experienced tradesmen who know what you're worth to them and are willing to pay it after some ritual haggling.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday July 02 2018, @07:27AM (4 children)
This ^ a hundred times! It often seems those college kids learned about some imaginary world. Construction companies and the like don't have a lot of time for the silly bullshit that goes on elsewhere. They know what needs to be done, and they get it done, or they go broke and no one hears from them again.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday July 02 2018, @10:29AM
All the above being a generalization of course. You can find worthless shitheads in any walk of life. They're just not as common when Getting Shit Done is the metric by which you advance.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday July 02 2018, @03:39PM (1 child)
What about organizations that practice nepotism?
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 5, Funny) by edIII on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:09AM
At least they're thinking of the children.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 02 2018, @05:53PM
Unless they've got the right contacts to get government contracts, of course...