RWL Newsletter #138 - class, masks, and friends
Greetings from the University of New Hampshire! Week 1 of the semester is in the books! Phew. Starting the semester is always so stressful - getting the students aligned for success, making sure everyone knows what they need to do, is more complicated than it sounds like. I’m looking forward to a long weekend so I can catch up on research projects that I neglected all week.
I didn’t do anything interesting to take a picture of this week, but we talked about diversity in my management class. I attended a session at AOM that was focused on the impact of social class on careers. One component of social class is income (not the whole thing), and it occurred to me that I didn’t know the most recent data on median US household income. So I went to Census.gov and got the information to make the above chart. I thought median household income was closer to $60K, so it was a nice surprise to see it was actually $76K. I realize this chart could be done better, but I didn’t have the time to make it more visually representative, with a long right tail (also, the data wasn’t displayed that way in the table I found). If someone has a better chart, I’d be interested in seeing it.
On to this weeks links! I’m feeling all feely - wanting to think about social stuff this week. Chekc it out!
Read
What: MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status – Youth Version
http://sparqtools.org/mobility-measure/macarthur-scale-of-subjective-social-status-youth-version/
Why: So this tool was used in one of the presentations on social class that I saw at AOM. It’s a really simple tool, but it is pretty effective. I had my students use the tool anonymously in small groups, and then discuss the results. We then constructed a class ladder, which was interesting in the sense that it confirmed what most of us would expect - a range from 4-9, with a median around 6.5. It’s a useful thought tool.
Watch
What: KJ Adames & Stella Davis, Identity SHORT FILM (5 min)
Why: From the description, “Living in a world where everybody wears masks due to lack of self-identity, a brave girl encounters the truth that sets her free".
This appears to be a high school film project, but it’s really well done visually. The metaphor of the masks is well executed, if not particularly original. The conclusion is a bit Romantic, but I like the masks, so I thought I would share it.
We talked in class a bit about how good managers enable people to bring their whole selves to work - which is in a sense the definition of inclusion.
I think if you find an organization that is a good fit for you, it really allows you to take off your social mask and be your authentic self. For me, that was becoming a teacher. I love teaching because it allows me to be as close to my authentic self as I can be. If you sit in on one of my lectures, you’re seeing about as unguarded a version of me as you’re going to see in public and without alcohol. I love connecting with students in a classroom setting. I feel like I can, and have to, bring my full self. I know I’m lucky to have found a calling and that most people do not. I do try to convince my students it is important to find the right fit - we spend far too much time at work to be wearing masks.
Listen
What: NPR, Accept The Awkwardness: How To Make Friends (And Keep Them) (22 minutes)
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/15/751479810/make-new-friends-and-keep-the-old
Why: This is a cute but not altogether frivolous podcast about finding new friendships when you are an older person. One of the themes that came up in my research on the school-to-work transition is that even young people can have trouble making friends when they leave the college environment and move into the workforce.
Thanks for reading and see you next week! If you come across any interesting stories, won't you send them my way? I'd love to hear what you think of these suggestions, and I'd love to get suggestions from you. Feel free to drop me a line at mark.bonica@unh.edu , or you can tweet to me at @mbonica .
Also, if you find these links interesting, won’t you tell a friend? They can subscribe here: https://tinyletter.com/markbonica
Have a great weekend and do amazing things!
Mark
Mark J. Bonica, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-0598
mark.bonica@unh.edu
Health Leader Forge Podcast: http://healthleaderforge.org
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau