Read the following quote from Time Wars by Jeremy Rifkin, who is commenting on the factory life but also about a worker mentality that stretches back farther than the time of modern industry. It’s important to note that Rifkin is not applauding this mentality but explaining how factory owners helped create it in the minds’ of the workers. Analyze this quote and apply at least one text to help illuminate what Rifkin’s point:
“Getting workers to accept the new conception of time ultimately depended on the ability of the owners to convince the average laborer that through a combination of diligence, punctuality, discipline, and hard work he could better his lot in life, secure greater material wealth, improve his station in society, and assure a better future for his children” (111).
