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The Laziness Myth: Narratives of Work and the Good Life in South Africa
When people cannot find good work, can they still find good lives? By investigating this question in the context of South Africa, where only 43 percent of adults are employed, Christine Jeske invites readers to examine their own assumptions about how work and the good life do or do not coincide. The Laziness Myth challenges the widespread premise that hard work determines success by tracing the titular "laziness myth," a persistent narrative that disguises the systems and structures that produce inequalities while blaming unemployment and other social ills on the so-called laziness of particular class, racial, and ethnic groups.
Jeske offers evidence of the laziness myth's harsh consequences, as well as insights into how to challenge it with other South African narratives of a good life. In contexts as diverse as rapping in a library, manufacturing leather shoes, weed-whacking neighbors' yards, negotiating marriage plans, and sharing water taps, the people described in this book will stimulate discussion on creative possibilities for seeking the good life in and out of employment, in South Africa and elsewhere.
Jeske offers evidence of the laziness myth's harsh consequences, as well as insights into how to challenge it with other South African narratives of a good life. In contexts as diverse as rapping in a library, manufacturing leather shoes, weed-whacking neighbors' yards, negotiating marriage plans, and sharing water taps, the people described in this book will stimulate discussion on creative possibilities for seeking the good life in and out of employment, in South Africa and elsewhere.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2020
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January 10, 2021
Jeske helps the reader understand the cultural "stuff" behind Zulu attitudes toward work and the good life in South Africa. She contrasts the narrative that Zulus are lazy because they don't work hard in expected ways with the narratives that motivate and make sense of the actions of many Zulus. The narratives she uncovered include "respect is important," "I've got a good hustle", and "I'm just a laborer." I was struck by how one of Jeske's informants told her that she was living the good life, even when her life was filled with serious problems.
I have been thinking about the narratives Jeske highlighted and see these narratives in my own cultural "stuff" and that of those around me. Anyone who doesn't sacrifice to succeed in their work in the way that is valued by many in our world today may be motivated by different understandings of the good life. For example, they may prioritize respect that can be obtained from actions in non-work dimensions of life or from their indomitable creativity as they "hustle" in environments where success in traditional work settings or in certain social settings feels out-of-reach.
I have been thinking about the narratives Jeske highlighted and see these narratives in my own cultural "stuff" and that of those around me. Anyone who doesn't sacrifice to succeed in their work in the way that is valued by many in our world today may be motivated by different understandings of the good life. For example, they may prioritize respect that can be obtained from actions in non-work dimensions of life or from their indomitable creativity as they "hustle" in environments where success in traditional work settings or in certain social settings feels out-of-reach.
Displaying 1 of 1 review