Matthew B. Crawford's The Case For Working With Your Hands

1640 Words7 Pages

In 2009, by publishing "The Case for Working with Your Hands", Matthew B.Crawford highlighted essential and importance of an undervalued job: handwork. Workers confront many challenges lying ahead that outsiders may not see, but only its undeniable benefits. At the beginning of the article, Crawford outlined the growth of demand of workers, "making the manual trades — plumbing, electrical work, car repair — more attractive as careers" (n.p). Although it is idealized as "the salt of the earth", there is an inconsistence that workers are prevented from joining this field by family members (n.p). Being thought to be no-brain work, the author argued that trades turn out to require efforts, “metacognition”, and syllogism in order to “eliminate …show more content…

Although it is idealized as "the salt of the earth", there is an inconsistence that workers are prevented from joining this field by family members (n.p). Being thought to be no-brain work, the author argued that trades turn out to require efforts, “metacognition”, and syllogism in order to “eliminate variables…The gap between theory and practice stretches out in front of you” (n.p). Alternately, those versatile hands both labor to provide others a nifty life, and challenges workers, enhances degrees of sense skills, and "cultivates different intellectual habits" (n.p). In addition, he assumed that mechanical jobs give opportunities to learn a valuable lesson in life: becoming responsible for self-actions. Socializing with other fellow workers and customers determines job-survival. Furthermore, the writer defined a good job as an ability to put employee 's best efforts and receive a fresh result; even an academic certificate cannot guarantee it. According to his experience in motor-repair, “The work is sometimes frustrating, but it is never irrational… I had made quite a bit more money. I also felt free and active, rather than confined and stultified” …show more content…

Because this job is dirty, he or she is thought to be stupid or poor. Paradoxically, people prevent relatives from going to the labor like Hercules while calling it "the salt of the sea" (n.p). At the request of parents, the youth goes on the same direction: colleges or universities, which are believed to provide a safe environment laying the foundation of useful knowledge and shaping characteristics. Silent debates between chasing dreams or living up to family’s expectation inside each individual result in risky decisions. However, in my point of view, some kids choose to go to work as an excuse for being too lazy to study. “One scabby sheep is enough to spoil the whole flock,” and draws a bad picture of handwork. In these cases, parents have the right to put them under pressure in order to bring them back to education track. Hence, social forces are the only bridge separating themselves from their