Comments on: Revisiting The Organization Man

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:47:21 +0000

We are forgetting the role of World War 2 in forming male roles for the 50s. In an era with a universal military obligation, what it meant to be a man was to be an organization man. You submitted to rank, hierarchy, and authority and willingly put your life in its hands.

When men came home from WW2, they wanted to leave the military life behind, but it had changed men and masculinity. Individuality was a lot less important than security and being a part of the new, stable, prosperous society you were coming back to.

With very few exceptions, young men had entered manhood as young servicemembers, and older men’s lives had been thwarted by 1930s social-economic conditions. There was very little alternative for either but to go with the program, a civilian society with an increasingly authoritarian character.

By: Kurt Eger

Kurt Eger — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:33:41 +0000

I feel that society still acts in accordance with these views and that this is not a message about men as much as it is about humans in general. I feel all the same angst and disillusionment about society as is indicated on this site and in this book, but I don’t believe that women are void of these same emotions and opinions. The writer William H. Whyte may have targeted men back when this book was written, but there is no way 50 years ago that anyone would have seen the liberal expansion of this society in all directions. When this book was first published was prior to society being made mature with the assasination of such key figures as John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X, etc. Society was idealistic and it was naive, all the things we lost when these men were killed for political reasons. This book was from a time before America had to look in the mirror with open eyes and see what we’ve become, before we had to admit our faults and correct for them. The message is still true, but the audience is broader.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:55:18 +0000

If you live in a town with a volunteer fire department, consider joining. Most have a social organization which contributes to the community via projects or donations. VFD’s are facing the same issues of declining membership.

I enjoyed this post and look forward to the future one on fraternal organizations.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:35:39 +0000

May I use snipets of this article to help recruit some of today’s younger vets into the VFW? VFW Posts all over the country are closing down despite the influx of eligable people. I think if more people would read this article it would really make them think about what they really do with their spare time. It is also my theory that the younger members are going to be able to make these type of organizations more efficient and worthwhile as they will ‘modernize’ the ways things are done inside these organizations through the use of computers.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:11:48 +0000

Another top-notch post – thank you