Down the Winding River with Gordon G. Darkenwald

Abstract

The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty: The Eroding Work Experience in America presents insights from Americans who share their experiences related to critical issues concerning work alongside relevant literature describing the psychological impact of work. The author argues for a need to infuse psychological perspectives while including workers' voices into research concerning labor and work issues. These voices are from those on the front lines of rapid workforce changes. Furthermore, he argues that, holistically, Americans will see no advancement toward a "just and dignified approach to working" without including those workers who are most affected (p. 193). The purpose of the text is to extend readers beyond an economic view of numbers and data in articulating work and labor issues through rich narratives from people about their work experiences. The author points to decades of missed opportunities in research that have failed to capture working Americans' voices; sadly, he explains, economics has been the defining force informing public policies concerning work and how society understands it. This point and the central thesis that all workers deserve dignified and accessible employment serve as motivating forces behind this piece.Blustein leverages interview data and his experience as a therapist, career counselor, professor, and researcher in psychology and workforce development to inform the writing and convey Americans' psychological experiences concerning work. The book consists of a preface, nine chapters, notes, and an index. Each chapter begins with an introduction composed of historical or personal frames of reference for the material. Interview vignettes and emerging themes follow this section. The final part of each chapter introduces more recent psychological and sociological research, which aids further insight into work during periods of uncertainty, such as recessions and job eliminations due to technological advances.Chapter 1 embraces the significant role work plays in fulfilling psychological and social needs, while Chapter 2 explores human ambition for survival. Thus, combining the research presented in Chapter 1 and the vignettes in Chapter 2 permits readers to visualize Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Blustein presents stories concerning individuals' struggles for financial security after the Great Recession, which correlates to the hierarchy's safety and physiological needs. Chapter 3 expands the discussion of needs, explaining that being with others is key to an individual's well-being. Blustein also devotes attention to emerging constructs that impede the benefits of working with others, such as automation and harassment.Chapter 4 explores how individuals construct meaning and purpose in life and connect with the greater social good through work. These narratives offer a glimpse into the lives of those experiencing a deep connection to work, the social impacts of work, or those who struggle to find work. Bluestein discusses the experience of individuals' motivation for working in...