Our Values are Revealed in the Jobs We Do

 The Values of Society

Being a part of a civilization means that we do not have to focus on life-or-death matters all the time, so we are free to devote our effort to other things that we value. The things which are valued will vary from one society and culture to the next. The amount of effort, time, and resources we as a society commit to one endeavor or another demonstrates what our society values.

The values of a society influence the number of people who enter a particular profession. For example, there are many accounting positions in our country because we as a nation and society value accounting. We are a materialistic society. As a group, we are obsessed with money. We want to know and be able to prove where our money comes from, and where it goes. So we have many accountants to tell us. Our shared materialism also means that we have many salespeople. Our economy is based on consumption, so we need salespeople to boost the demand for products, to increase consumption, to create wealth for the producers and sellers.

In our society, there are not so many jobs caring for the environment because we do not particularly value the land, plants, animals, or ecosystems - except as commodities from which we can create products for consumption and generate wealth. As a society, we would – and routinely do - sell the Earth for a profit. We value wealth.

No society absolutely has to have forests or foresters. No society absolutely has to have accountants. Neither environmental jobs nor accounting jobs are essential for survival. Neither forestry nor bookkeeping directly creates the necessities of life: food, clothing, or shelter.  Even so, society makes sure the jobs that have cultural value - whether economic value or aesthetic value - are filled.

Societies create incentives to ensure that their most valued social functions are not impaired by shortage of personnel. Societies provide the strongest incentives for individuals to take up the most valued professions. Most often, the incentives come in the form of wages. Compensation will vary based on a few variables:

     • Cultural value of the profession.  Entering a more valued profession that is more values by the society means higher compensation.

     • Expertise.  Professionals who are good at what they do generally receive higher compensation. In our culture, we assume that more education means more expertise.

     • Difficulty.  Societies provide financial incentive to motivate persons to take on jobs which might otherwise be unappealing. Jobs which are difficult will command higher compensation. Two related factors are the perception of how difficult the job is to accomplish and the perception of how inherently satisfying the job is to those who perform it. Jobs which are easy or pleasant provide benefits beyond mere wages, so wages will tend to be lower.

     • Inherent Satisfaction. Jobs which are pleasant provide benefits beyond mere wages, so wages will tend to be lower. 

     • Supply and Demand.  If the previous incentives do not work perfectly, the law of supply and demand will kick in to guarantee more incentive, thereby creating more professional expertise available to professions in great demand.

In a society dedicated to lofty ideals, being civilized might mean doing or creating that which is enlightening and ennobling. In a society which values wealth, comfort, and power, people will tend to pursue wealth, comfort, and power – not lofty ideals.

A civilization which values human life above all would be expected to have many doctors and few soldiers. A civilization which values nature world would be expected to have many ecologists, animal caretakers, gardeners, and park rangers – and fewer bulldozer and dynamite manufacturers.  Of course, within any society there will be an entire range of professions. Even a society which values human life above all will need a few soldiers – because other societies or renegade elements may be a threat, and the soldiers are necessary to protect human life.

The Values of an Individual

An acquaintance of mine has an excellent job. He does not find it fulfilling. The problem is that his values are not the same as those of the organization in which he works. The organization is a useful one, with a worthy mission and dedicated people staffing its corridors. It’s just that he knows that his effort is not being devoted to goals he values.  He is not accomplishing the things he’d hoped to accomplish in life. He is working in a job that is highly valued by society, but not so highly valued by himself.

He’s had fulfilling jobs in the past. Most of them paid less than the job he has now. At the same time, he notes that they produced more positive results for the world than his current job. He finds himself in a dilemma. Does he continue to fall in line with the values of the society, which is perfectly willing to compensate him well in his current position? Or does he affirm his own values and find a job that he will love, but which might not pay enough to maintain his lifestyle?

He is appreciative, in these difficult economic times, for having a job.  He realizes that his situation is not the employer’s problem, but his own.  He must nevertheless deal with contradictions between his values and those of the culture and society in which he works.

Are you applying the energy of your life to the things that matter most?  I'm not sure that I am.  Maybe we both should give this matter some serious thought...

I'll report back with some thoughts about my own values.  I hope you'll do the same.  Feel free to share your thoughts here on the Gryphem blog.

Gryphem