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InLovingMemory 8 - 28 Mar 2012 - Main.SkylarPolansky
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| | In Loving Memory
I walked into Print Services in the basement of Columbia’s Journalism School to see my dad, as I usually do after classes and before going home. Instead of the usual cheerful dispositions, I was met with a melancholy so overwhelming that, without reason, my eyes watered. I asked what had happened. My dad replied: “He said he was stressed but no one listened. John died this morning.” | | | Last week in class, I attempted to raise a point about what it would take for students to be able to not only empathize with those that are vulnerable in their employment positions, but also to realize that no one is ever really far from "the fear". In summary, my point was that until an individual has worked in the workforce they can not feel the fear. It remains a vague notion that is only experienced by "the unfortunate few". I attempted to analogize "the fear" to the current health care debate in America by not analyzing whether Obama Care is the solution, but more so looking at the views of those on polar opposites (those that support universal health care versus those that oppose). Similar to the fear of unemployment, until an individual has experienced having to watch their every move because they do not have health care coverage, it is difficult for an individual to fully appreciate the importance of providing basic coverage for all. | |
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< | Based off of the opinions vocalized in class, it seemed that although many would agree that loosing one's job is unfortunate, many people also felt that they were immune to the fear. Perhaps it is a sign of the times we are living in, but I have yet to work in any field where this fear did not exist. Often working is not about who produces the best work product, it's about your connections. Who an individual connects with, who an individual knows, or (in a firm) who the partner and senior associates would want to have a drink with are often the ones that advance or are able to keep their position. | >
> | Based off of the opinions vocalized in class, it seemed that although many would agree that losing one's job is unfortunate, many people also felt that they were immune to the fear. Perhaps it is a sign of the times we are living in, but I have yet to work in any field where this fear did not exist. Often working is not about who produces the best work product, it's about your connections. Who an individual connects with, who an individual knows, or (in a firm) who the partner and senior associates would want to have a drink with are often the ones that advance or are able to keep their position. | | | It is not always the case that those who are employed are employed because they are smarter or perform better. Too often it is just luck. Promotions, bonuses, and simply being able to keep your job can work against this rationale. Until society realizes that we are all susceptible to the fear, we will continue to have an employment sector where workers can be devalued, overworked, and silenced.
-- AbiolaFasehun - 27 Mar 2012 | | | To be more practical, Lissette, I would only suggest that you take advantage of the resources at CLS. I think this challenge is your moment to force one these erudite professors to teach you the skills to be an advocate. They might even learn something about what it means to be an actual lawyer too.
-- ArleneOrtizLeytte - 28 Mar 2012 | |
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> | Lissette - If you would like help reading your father's union contract I would be happy to help.
Arlene - I think that you are definitely on to something when you said that forgetting our fears enables us to develop a lack of empathy and compassion. The feeling of fear is uncomfortable. As animals we either fight or take flight in response. For me, taking flight often appears as the easier path, because the prospect of fighting and failing at the end is terrifying. Tharaud was an interesting character for me to read because Tharaud chose to fight against an injustice she perceived in the world of employment, yet is nearing the end of her career and did not fully accomplish her goal. By reading Tharaud I was able to delve into the consciousness of one of my greatest fears - fighting and failing. Tharaud seemed more at peace with herself than Cerriere. She appeared to appreciate the subtle beauty of her surroundings more than Cerriere (or at least more than the narrator let us see) - Tharaud noticed the irony of the poster on the wall in Ying's listing workers rights, juxtaposed with the Ying's waitress who probably did not know her worker's rights, Tharaud takes is aware of her surroundings and the history of the changing landscape of lower Manhattan. She might not have accomplished her goal but her eyes are still wide open.
Because the process of fighting and failing is what scares me, and I think is partially what inhibits me from fighting, I know I need to familiarize myself with this feeling, become comfortable with it so that I don't flee from it. I think in order to stop the process of encountering fear and pretending it's not there/forgetting about it, we need to recognize what particularly about that fear is making us feel uncomfortable. Once we recognize what it is that makes us uncomfortable we will be closer to trying to fix it, and thus closer to re-establishing our sense of empathy.
-- SkylarPolansky - 28 Mar 2012 |
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