The Organizational Age

The Organizational Age is described by Florida as the great transition in the late 1800s and early 1900's in the shift to an modern, highly organized economy and society founded on large scale institutions and functional specialization and bureaucracy. Florida states that the two basic principles of the organizational age are: he breaking down of tasks into their most elemental components and the transformation of human productive activity into stable and predictable routines. further stating that the organizational age required a  "work don't think" mentality, "even if you had a high-order thinking job, you were paid to think only about certain things in certain ways." Florida goes on to continue about how things have evolved since then into the creative transformation, stating "it came to full bloom in the 1980's and 1990s. during this time we have seen the emergence of new economic systems explicitly designed to foster and harness human creativity, and the emergence of a new social milieu that supports it." (pg 66) 

Although I can agree with Florida for a number of reasons I can also find myself playing devils advocate. I can list multiple examples of different individuals daily routines that can fall under the category of a predictable, in addition to people also having their lives based on the mentality of work don't think. I can even find examples within my own life that I believe directly relate to this concept. For example, professors although they are allegedly "not biased" can be found to give poor marks based on an student (such as myself) arguing their opinion or belief. correlating to the organizational age in the aspect of having to think about things in a certain way- I have had my own ideas shaped and shifted based on the way the material is being presented and with what I am being told to focus on, despite any topics I may find interesting- because in the end, we are not getting graded on with what each individual with their own mind, opinion, individuality as a whole finds interesting. Rather what the teacher has decided is interesting! Determining those will be the specific areas shaping their assignments, tests, papers, etc that ultimately determine what our grade will be in the course. Consequently, learning has become a routine, looking at the syllabus to see what we will and will not be graded on - class participation, attendance, what materials we do and do not need to read, papers, tests, etc! and applying ourselves to those specific areas rather then applying ourselves and dedicating ourselves as students to learning! It saddens me to recall the number of courses I have taken where instead of genuinely learning and understanding concepts, and forming my own opinions, I have memorized things I do not understand in order to be able to eliminate answers on a multiple choice question or recite information in an essay question I do not even really understand! Moreover, there are a number of teachers who are allegedly biased but in contrary give poor remarks to those students who argue their own beliefs. Specifically within political classes where the topics are controversial, constraining within each party and generally sensitive towards each individuals varying belief system. Thus, directly highlighting the aspect of being told how to think about things in an certain way- if writing about point y will get you an A but you agree with point z you are still more inclined to write about the point that will get you a higher grade! 

On another note, do you think that Alice Gast would honestly sit down with one of the fraternity or sorority cooks, janitors or even just an average Joe student of Lehigh University and listen to suggestions that can be made to this campus? Alice Gast will hardly conduct meetings with entrepreneurs, and business owners of Bethlehem! Regardless of the fact that those people and those business's are specifically affecting Lehigh University as a whole, providing or attempting at providing the campus with a town, and an community. Yet, instead of trying to create new opportunities for students to have things to do outside of the Greek system (which you would think she was trying to do by busting every single party and providing a larger budget to pay police men to make extra rounds- forcing students to unsafe off campus environments) Instead, she will not even allow a "Lehigh art's weekly" email to be sent to those students who are not enrolled in the arts and science's college! Establishing that although one may think that we are told to think about things outside of the box, to express our individuality it is clear that although we may have the mindset that it is okay to "think" that way- is it really okay to express it? If I were to begin riots outside of Taylor gym because we don't have towels and 3 of the treadmills (on our already astonishingly disgusting lack of work out machines in general) are ALWAYS broken! Or If I were to riot outside of the freshman dorms because every single one of them does not have air conditioning and proper utilities (some of the BASIC necessities that ALL of my friends at varying colleges have and are not paying nearly the same sky rocketing tuition that I am) - what would happen? These are just some of the MANY ideas I have thought about regarding some of the MANY changes that need to be made to Lehigh University, and yet I am sure that a number of the professors, janitors, cooks, nurses, etc all of the people in different jobs, positions and just all of the people that occupy Lehigh University as a whole have thought of, without being told to think them! and yet, where do we get the opportunity to express them if the people that need to hear them in order to make the changes that need to be made wont listen? Therefore, has society really changed? There is a minority of people that think outside of the box, follow their vision and find a way to express themselves but then there is a majority that are confined to their routines, simplicity and are "afraid to rock the boat". I for one plan on expressing myself and plan on implementing a change...over time- as for now, I need to think about HOW to do this, HOW to express the ideas I have thought of on my own ....because I think rioting might not end in my advantage, no matter how creative I make my signs : )

Thinking vs. Expressing - our society depends on finding the balance, this is an example of students who thought about what they wanted but negatively represented themselves!