Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) Flashcards
Weber
- religious beliefs (socialisation) leads to behaviours which can in turn lead to to economic success –> time / credit is money
- Doctrine of calling - all work is good and of God’s glory - no one does any work that is not important, beliefs lead to economic development, idolness is bad and work is good. They deserve it and do not waste.
- Doctrine of predestination - success and rich are ‘chosen’, and poor are ‘doomed’
- Strong asceticism - wealth is to be invested, and not spent - do not spend ostentatiously
- Doctrine of sanctification - stress on rational and use of personal control and moral decision making
Franklin (1784)
Gave a guideline to young people
- temperament
- silence
- order
- resolution
- frugality
- industry
etc. ..
Weber quoted Franklin - to be diligent, and to not be idle, for time is money. Credit is money, and to put it to good use. Be frugal in consumption, do not waste money on inessentials. Do not lend money and lie idle. Can invest, profits reinvested.
PWE and science
PWE values science to understand the world of God - beliefs lead to an increase in science - values rationality, which ironically changes religious beliefs - Paradox - Nobel peace prizes often won by religious people.
PWE and economic growth
do they work together? McClelland - inter relationships among key variables related to economic achievement - middle class and mesomorphic physique = high achievement --> entrepreneurial rewards - child rearing variables e.g. warmth + low father dominance --> high achievement in individual processes - absence of slavery --> high achievement in cultural products e.g. children's stories --> role of economic development
PWE and electric power consumption
countries outside the tropics of cancer and capricorn
- P countries received a rank difference of 10.1
- C consumed and used a rank difference of 15.7
- P countries are more commercialised
Giorgi & Marsh (1990)
link between work ethic and religion - still in modern day there is PWE, the effete of a countries religious culture is more potent than the religious beliefs of an individual
Pechams & Moetter (1962)
rise in achievement imagery from 1800-1960, and a weak decline over a period after. Data corresponds to cultural trends (images of hard work and success)
Bradburn & Berlew (1961)
- P have greater self reliance values due to independence training by parents (middle class receive less pocket money, and have to work for it, so learn that pleasure comes later), greater achievement in children, lending to economic and technical development
Criticisms of McClelland’s model
- methodology - unreliable, projective techniques, data used to show support for theory rather than test it
- data used to show support for theory rather than test it
- theory - little examination of social/cultural factors lending to achievement growth - incoherent theory
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
story told by a pp about a pic - shows needs and motivations. Points given for themes of PWE mentioned in story. Points given to children for achievement arousal, affiliation arousal and power arousal
- BUT reliable/valid?, need goal achievement imagery
Mirrels & Garrett (1971)
PWE scale - 19 questions, 7 point Likert scale (no neutrality). Furnham (1993) - says that it predicts validity - high PWE score - more concerned that migrants will have jobs.
Miller et al. (2002)
MWEP (multidimensional work ethic profile) - 65 item self report measures
- self reliance
- hard work
Woehr & Lim (2007)
accepted across other languages and genders - international cohorts
Furnham (1982)
PWE relates to taxation beliefs - similar to political ideology
- therefore not demographic age, and not income that differentiates people to tax beliefs, but specific beliefs and attitudes - similar to political ideology differences
Furnham & Quillery (1989)
- PES (protestant ethic scale)
- prisoners dilemma game (PDG)
- game play strategies
- either conventional (maths), or business (stimulation)
- buisness stimulation elicited more competative scores than conventional - high PES = more competitive
- more competition leads to a lower score
- predictive validity