"arbeit macht frei"/"work makes (one) free"

Originally a novel title, "Arbeit macht frei", came to have much more sinister connotations after the Nazi's adopted it for their purposes and placed it above the entry gates of multiple concentration camps. It came to mind because I am struggling to understand and accept an idea which appears to be popular if not rampant in our society in general and more specifically the community which surrounds our developmentally disabled.

I want to make it clear from the outset that, I am coming at this issue as an outsider. I have not previously given this matter much thought, where as the people in the disabled community have very likely thought about it extensively. But for my own edification and as an invitation to others to put on their thinking caps, I'd like to ask why is there so much emphasis on work in American society. Further, why does the community supporting the developmentally disabled put so much emphasis on work?

Now, I have been a victim of the American work ethic for 40 plus years. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest afforded me with an early opportunity to become acquainted with work. Somewhere, in my early teens, I began working during harvest season picking strawberries, raspberries and beans. My first full time job was as a janitor at my high school the summer between my junior and senior years. My senior year of high school was the last period of my life in which I was not employed at least part time, save for time spent in school (a job of a different kind, and often including the aforementioned part time work), one extended 6 month period of unemployment in the mid 80's, and the odd month or so here and there, that followed being laid off, fired, or even quitting a job. All told, the total time I have not been working since high school can't be more than a couple of years; toss in another year to account for vacation time (probably too generous).

I also worked 25 years or so in high tech, as a computer geek of one kind or another. Conservatively, that means another 33% of my life was spent working overtime, so let's say, another 8 years of working time, to account for that. While I'm at it I might as well count the time I spent in school before college as a job, after all, it wasn't some thing I chose to do on my own, and it certainly is a form of work. So 12 years times three quarters of a year yields another 8 years. Adding it all up ... let's see ... 8 + 8 + 40(+) - 3 = 53 ... so 53 out of my 58 years seems to have been touched by work.

Alright, the numbers may not be entirely accurate, but I think it is clear that work in one form or another has consumed a huge portion of my existence. I acknowledge that others have it significantly worse than I have had it, but that is really kinda irrelevant to any point I want to make. Sleep is the only other activity that competes with work and I can pretty much assure you that it hasn't claimed nearly as much of my life as work.

So what is the point of talking about the role of work in my life. Simply this: I understand how it can come to dominate our thinking and how it can embed itself in our values systems.

We all know people whose whole definition of themselves appears to begin and end with their job. We are often those people. We all know of the stories of people who suddenly loose their job and with it their very identity and sometimes even will to live. These are the foundations of our social values and cultural myths about work. The American Puritan work ethic is a huge component of these foundations.

Like most social values and cultural myths they perpetuate themselves through the generations because they are revered and not subjected to any real critical examination.

I don't know if other people are really like me or not, but judging from the number of people that I've heard complain about their jobs over the course of my work life, there is a huge disconnect between the myths of work and the everyday reality of it. It seems to me that most people at best tolerate work as a survival requirement. I recognize that there are those odd few for whom work truly appears to be a pleasure.

For myself, work has been most often a life sucking activity that I have endured. This is not to say that I have not enjoyed moments of satisfaction, accomplishment, and occasionally success, in my work life. Some jobs have been significantly better than others. ALL, THOUGH, HAVE BEEN SOURCES OF STRESS; either because of the job or fear of losing the job or fear of not finding the job (Note: Ask your local unemployment office, finding a job is a job).

Given the above, it becomes extremely difficult for me to understand why the community surrounding the developmentally disabled are so enamored about placing their charges into the working world.

Yes, I understand that it can be a self-esteem booster, but that only make sense if one buys into the notion that one's worth is somehow predicated on work; a concept that I frankly abhor in a "normal" person and am unwonted to extend to anyone who already carries an extraordinary burden of challenges.

For those developmentally disabled who are cognizant of work in society, I can see that being able to participate in work can serve to diminish their alienation and sense of being different or apart.

The financial compensation that comes with work for the developmentally disabled seems unlikely to have a significant impact on their lives; though when many are living close to the margins of existence, any amount may actually be significant.

Ultimately, the question for me comes down to what purpose does work serve for the developmentally disabled. Is it something we impose upon them because every body SHOULD work? Do they just have to suffer along with the rest of us? Is it about them sharing the cost of their existence; making a contribution? In the final analysis, doesn't whether a developmentally disabled person works or not boil down to what is the best for that individual?

It is clear to me that there need to be safeguards, to prevent the exploitation of the developmentally disabled and insure their safety in the workplace, but that there should be no impediments to their inclusion in the workplace.

It is pointless to formulate one-size-fits-all policies, such as "Inclusion" or "Main Streaming" for the developmentally disabled when any rational person, who has even limited experience with the huge range of dysfunction and disability covered by the umbrella term "developmentally disabled", can see that many individuals will be needlessly harmed by such exposure. Predicating social/governmental/legal policy about work for the developmentally disabled on any thing other than individual need seems foolish to me.

Well, not nearly as cogent as I would like but I think I've touched on as many of the thoughts on this topic as I can remember having in the past couple weeks, since the topic came up for me. I'd really appreciate any feedback, thoughts, whatever that those of you who read this have on the topic. Maybe you'll discuss it with friends and get back to me with their thoughts.

Edify me!

Mitakuye Oyasin