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| luskey_on_the_make [2026/02/07 01:55] – jjardine | luskey_on_the_make [2026/02/07 03:25] (current) – [On the Make] smilton |
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| This reading tackles nineteenth century clerks and their unstable class positions. These individuals struggle with the balance between capital and labor. They pride themselves on independence and integrity. Their pursuit of capital defines their struggles in society. While clerks were motivated they lacked the capital to start-up projects, access to credit, familial wealth. In order for them to achieve upwards mobility they would have to network, build relationships, and acquire inheritance. Clerks were educated and generally white men but lacked property or long term security. Their positions in society swayed between middle class, working class, and elites. They believe that hard work and good character leads to success, however, most clerks struggled to achieve such independence making clerks the center of blame for failure instead of structural barriers as the cause. This independence is categorized by owning property that produces goods, self-employment, and self-governing labor. Clerks lacked independence from employers and were defenseless against termination. Overall, clerks were excluded from other capitalists due to structural inequality, which limited their chances of success. (Reiley Gibson) | This reading tackles nineteenth century clerks and their unstable class positions. These individuals struggle with the balance between capital and labor. They pride themselves on independence and integrity. Their pursuit of capital defines their struggles in society. While clerks were motivated they lacked the capital to start-up projects, access to credit, familial wealth. In order for them to achieve upwards mobility they would have to network, build relationships, and acquire inheritance. Clerks were educated and generally white men but lacked property or long term security. Their positions in society swayed between middle class, working class, and elites. They believe that hard work and good character leads to success, however, most clerks struggled to achieve such independence making clerks the center of blame for failure instead of structural barriers as the cause. This independence is categorized by owning property that produces goods, self-employment, and self-governing labor. Clerks lacked independence from employers and were defenseless against termination. Overall, clerks were excluded from other capitalists due to structural inequality, which limited their chances of success. (Reiley Gibson) |
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| | Luskey discussed the social and class mobility that some clerks had depending on the area in which they work. With the education that these clerks receive while apprenticing helps with the social and class mobility being both moving up or downward. Luskey mentions that some clerks take their education serious and use it as a means for self-control and valuable to the market, while some do not and reject the ability that the clerk position will give them in the social mobility. The ability to have motion and movement between classes also depended on the area you lived in, while in England, being a clerk was not something that could give you lots of mobility to climb social classes, however, in America, clerkship did give the mobility to climb in class. (Sage Milton) |
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| ===== Individuality as a Social Expectation ===== | ===== Individuality as a Social Expectation ===== |
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| Luskey’s discussion about the economic opportunities white and financially stable men had access to in the 19th century correlates with the idea of individuality and the ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps' rhetoric. In America specifically, men are praised for demonstrating independence, autonomy, and self-actualization. Economically, highly successful men are often put on pedestals and idolized for fulfilling the social expectation that men are financially stable and monetarily provide for others. This ideology contributed to the idea that success is determined by effort as opposed to a combination of opportunity and effort. Furthermore, Luckey provided insight into the disproportionate idea of external versus internal effort, particularly as a man, that divides many people. Self-efficacy is a social expectation of men; however, if someone does not have the resources to maximize their potential, their journey to success will not mirror that of others. (Allisya Smith) | Luskey’s discussion about the economic opportunities white and financially stable men had access to in the 19th century correlates with the idea of individuality and the ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps' rhetoric. In America specifically, men are praised for demonstrating independence, autonomy, and self-actualization. Economically, highly successful men are often put on pedestals and idolized for fulfilling the social expectation that men are financially stable and monetarily provide for others. This ideology contributed to the idea that success is determined by effort as opposed to a combination of opportunity and effort. Furthermore, Luckey provided insight into the disproportionate idea of external versus internal effort, particularly as a man, that divides many people. Self-efficacy is a social expectation of men; however, if someone does not have the resources to maximize their potential, their journey to success will not mirror that of others. (Allisya Smith) |
