Employment systems are changing and even educated, experienced men will face unemployment, but there’s no shame in that.
–––
I had never lost a job in my life. I was good at what I did. When it was time for me to leave one job, there were usually a number of employers who were only too happy to hire me. But when I was called into the office of the Director and told I could take a 50% pay cut or leave, I was devastated. Intellectually I knew that they just wanted to get rid of me so they could hire someone with less experience who they could pay a lot less. Emotionally, I felt ashamed.
If I lost my job, there must be something wrong with me.
|
For me working was a huge part of my identity. Bringing home a paycheck reminded me that I was a man, not a boy. It reminded me that I was someone of value. It reminded me that I was worthwhile. I was a “breadwinner” and in the lottery of life, I was successful. Though I had never thought it consciously, I believed that I was responsible for having a job. If I lost my job, there must be something wrong with me. I went from feeling ashamed to being deeply depressed and my moods went from depressed to manic and back again.
I’ve seen a similar dynamic occur with many women. When their husband leaves, they may know that they were not responsible for his affair, or for his leaving, but deep inside they feel ashamed. Somehow there must be something wrong with them. Why doesn’t he love me? I must be unlovable, they conclude.
Many of us feel ashamed because we are overweight. We see weight gain as a personal failing and fail to recognize that it is a social problem. When 70% of adults are overweight, we begin to recognize that this is a systemic problem, not a personal problem for which we should be ashamed.
Dead Suit Walking: Can Manhood Survive the Recession?
Boadie W. Dunlop, MD wrote a powerful editorial in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry titled “Will current socioeconomic trends produce a depressing future for men?” The editorial said,
“The recent recession afflicting Western economies serves as a harbinger of the economic future for men, especially for those with lower levels of education. Dubbed by some the ‘ Mancession’, the economic downturn has hit men particularly hard, because of its disproportionate effect on traditional male industries, such as construction and manufacturing, although of course working women have also been affected. Roughly 75% of the jobs lost since the beginning of the recession in 2007 were held by men.”
It was soon evident that the “Mancession” didn’t just impact blue collar workers. In 2011 I was interviewed for a Newsweek cover story, “Dead Suit Walking: Can Manhood Survive the Recession?” The article recognized that even educated men with good paying jobs were cast aside as the economy was collapsing. The article began with a description of two typical guys who represent millions of others:
As a 17-year-old swimmer, he set two world records. As a 52-year-old job hunter, he’s drowning.
|
Brian Goodell, of Mission Viejo, Calif., won two gold medals in the 1976 Olympics. An all-American, God-fearing golden boy, he segued into a comfortable career in commercial real estate. Until 2008, when he was laid off. As a 17-year-old swimmer, he set two world records. As a 52-year-old job hunter, he’s drowning.
Brock Johnson, of Philadelphia, was groomed at Harvard Business School and McKinsey & Co., and was so sure of his marketability that he resigned in 2009 as CEO of a Fortune 500 company without a new job in hand. Johnson, who asked that his real name not be used, was certain his BlackBerry would be buzzing off its holster with better offers. At 48, he’s still unemployed.
Two coasts. Two men who can’t find jobs. And one defining moment for the men in the gray flannel suits who used to run this country. Or at least manage it.
“Capitalism has always been cruel to its castoffs,” Newsweek concluded, “but those blessed with a college degree and blue-chip résumé have traditionally escaped the worst of it. In recessions past, they’ve kept their jobs or found new ones as easily as they might hail a cab or board the 5:15 to White Plains. But not this time.”
We’re All Likely to Face Unemployment in the Future: There’s No Shame in That
What most of us have trouble accepting is that the economic downturn and loss of jobs is not a temporary blip on the screen of an expanding economy. Just as we have reached “peak oil,” we are also recognizing that we are living on a finite planet, with finite resources, and we cannot continue growing our economy forever. As Richard Heinberg says in his book, Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines,
“Since we humans have so quickly become so deeply dependent on the cheap, concentrated energy of oil and other fossil fuels, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that we have caught ourselves on the horns of the Universal Ecological Dilemma, consisting of the interlinking elements of population pressure, resource depletion, and habitat destruction.”
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free
Charles Hugh Smith recently wrote a clear and concise article titled “Escaping the Rat Race: More meaningful work that boosts career security” for Chris Martenson’s fine website Peak Prosperity: Insights for Prospering While Our World Changes. Smith says,
“There are three fundamental forces disrupting the conventional order, and everyone with their eyes open sees them at work every day:
- Essential resources are becoming more expensive.
- The system of expanding credit/debt to fund more consumption (i.e. “growth”) has reached marginal returns and is failing.
- Networked software, automation and robotics are reducing the need for human labor on a global scale.
As a result of these three structural forces, economic instability is not going to go away any time soon.
So What Are We to Do?
We are living at the end of an era. Old systems are going under and new ones are being born. The old system of employment is changing and there’s no shame in being out of work. Here are some things we can do:
- Get ready for change. It’s coming fast and furious.
- Spent less, save more.
- Eat well, move more, stay healthy. Being sick and unemployed can be miserable.
- Expand your connections with friends and colleagues. You’ll need them and they’ll need you.
- Put time and energy into your love relationships. They are your most valuable assets.
- Being unemployed may be the best gift of your life. If it comes your way, embrace it.
I’m not sure if it’s as much shame as it is fear. Men and women both come out of the gate with expectations but even the least of expectations are dissipating. What’s worse is that the younger generation looks at the older who have been heavily hit with unemployment and underemployment asking “is this what I have to look forward to?” I just read an article “Fed Study Finds 2 million in “Forced Retirement” … The song “Is that all there is” sings in my head. Guys have to be realistic about the job market. The numbers are against them.… Read more »
I think our whole culture is going through a transformation. We’re all going to have to change our perception from an economy based on continuous growth and use of the earth’s resources, to one that is in balance and where people do work that enhances their own lives and the lives of all who live on the planet. I agree that these are turbulent times, but can lead to a life that is freer, more focused on people rather than things, with more leisure time to enjoy life and make a real difference in the world.
Resources, okay so I’m not a tree hugger and have not bought into the global changes BUT I have changed some things. Always been a recycler (recycle is free vs. trash $4.75 per garbage can). this year I’ve gotten into composting. Great for the garden and easier then I thought. Life is a lot freer. The one claim that really bugs me is the cost of raising kids. For starters, mama’s milk is free and great for the kids. Baby food? Pick up a blender at a thrift store and make your own. Meals, shop sales. Do ya really need… Read more »
Of COURSE it IS a SHAME!
It’s a SHAME on the CEO’s of the companies who love MONEY more than MANKIND.
The motive for reducing employee salaries is rooted in the MAINTAINING of ever-increasing EXEC. salaries and bonuses, along with the usual misappropriation and embezzlement schemes we hear of so often in the “news”.