Overworked American Essay, Research Paper

American Political Culture

Overworked American, Chapter 3

If I were to create an American society in which its occupants enjoyed more leisure and less work I would start from the beginning; the education system. In America?s current education system children are taught that leisure is bad. They are taught that happiness comes from materials. Much pressure in put on them from the start to get a good job and make lots of money. In order to do this, children are told, you must go to college. I would put more emphasis on the importance of leisure by pointing out the downfalls of our burnout society.

I wouldn?t encourage children not to go to college, but encourage them to attend for the right reasons. To be educated for yourself, not to get a good job so you can buy lots of materials. As discussed in chapter 3, that is why Americans work such long, hard hours, to have more stuff.

After the education system was altered, I would force every full time worker in the US to take at lease one-month paid vacation a year, no exceptions. I would install limit laws on the amount of hours any full time employee can work in a week.

The advertising industry would have to be altered. Advertisements display an importance of materials in regards to happiness. Ads that promote this importance would be banned.

Gold, silver, precious gems, and other materials that are considered valuable would be considered childish. Babies and young children would be forced to wear such decorations and as they get older will be allowed to remove their decorations as a symbol of adulthood.

Another item I would get rid of is cars. Cars have become a major status symbol in America today, and they pollute. People will be angry with this because cars are the central transportation in the US. To remedy this, the public transportation systems would be built up.

Basically I would change our government from being capitalistic, to socialistic.