Shifting Perspectives: The Decoupling of Work and Money
Author(s)
Wuthnow, Robert J.
Abstract
By the beginning of the twentieth century mainstream social scientists had shifted from a paradigm that placed economic behavior in the context of broader values to one that viewed work and money in isolation. As new immigrants poured into the US, the American Dream became framed in terms of work and money. Today, when individuals are asked why they work, the overwhelming answer is “to make money.” We need to rethink the relationship between work and money, therefore, if we are going to make a valid place for moral discourse to be considered.
