[lbo-talk] Time Use studies

[John Thornton]

Miles Jackson wrote:
> James Heartfield wrote:
>   
>> Doug:
>>
>> "And check out table 3 <ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/news.release/atus.txt>:
>> leisure hours decline with educational attainment. The working class
>> has more time on its hands than the professional-managerial class."
>>
>> I take that with a pinch of salt. Time Use studies groan under the weight of 
>> moaning "overworked" managers, most of whom hide away from their depressing 
>> families at work, where they can goof around in good conscience.
>>
>> The difference between the working class and the professional-managerial 
>> class as far as working hours goes, is that the latter control their working 
>> environment, and so are at liberty to hang out there, as they are pleased 
>> to.
>>     
>
> I have a hard time believing James has ever worked in the 
> professional/managerial class if he thinks they "control their working 
> environment".  I've been serving as an interim Dean at my community 
> college for the past term, and I have to say administrators' lives are 
> tightly constrained by meetings, deadlines, and bureaucratic regulation. 
>     I can only imagine it's worse in for-profit organizations.
>
> Miles

When I worked as the community relations coordinator for Habitat for 
Humanity I had complete freedom to set my hours with the exception of 
occasionally mandatory "taking possession" ceremonies when someone moved 
into their new home. Those were always on Sunday and were a long affair 
with food and lots of BS. I loathed those forced have-a-good-time type 
of gatherings but I'm kind of hard to get along with and more than just 
a little bit of an asshole.
I doubt all non-profits operate like HfH but I'm sure some do. The 
director of the Community Blood Center sets her own hours and she is 
damn hard to get in contact with.

John Thornton