Richard Senett And The American Dream

To give us a starting point, Sennett begins to talk about and gives us an insight of Enrico, who is an example of the character present prior to a change in bureaucratic structure. Enrico has spent his life attempting to fulfill an embodiment of the American Dream that is not for himself. He saves money for his children's education in the hopes that they can get closer to what America has promised for those that work hard. Enrico’s son had made good, unlike his father he was an affluent professional. The stories of the father and the son illustrate how the world of work has changed. No longer is there a job for life. Enrico’s work was mundane and boring. He knew exactly where he would be and how much he would be earning when he retired. In contrast his son’s work is interesting and variable. He earns a lot more money than his father. He however faces …show more content…
In this book Richard Sennett examines the effect of these new work places on the people who populate them, and on society in general.
Companies no longer provide job descriptions or long term contracts, but rather an opportunity to compete in a winner-takes-all market. Rico’s talent has freed him from the curses of routine, but as he scrambles to focus on the latest market development it becomes unclear to him what success and security really are. Because of the lack of structure in the economy, Rico finds himself drifting from one job to the next and confused about his identity. It almost seems to me that there are personal consequences of the changes that are coming from work with the constant change of capitalism. Its examining the flexibilities and the uncertainties of work can cause the individuals like rico affect their moral identity. The economic activities such as work are no longer a long term job or stable but the job market is now short term which makes for a developed identity of individuals. argues that there