MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Throughout the course of human history, religion has served as one of the primary pillars upon which societies and cultures have been built and sustained. Religious beliefs provide an ethical framework and a moral ideology that binds the people of a given society together. Legal systems and the means of enforcing them are based upon religious codes of ethics and, when not directly attached the religious apparatus, at the very least draw from it a significant level of inspiration. America is no different. There is a clear religious ethos that has historically dominated our national consciousness and shaped our national identity, that of Protestantism. Protestantism has had a profound and lasting effect on our social consciousness and national ethos that is still manifested today in the form of the “Protestant work ethic.” This ethic is defined by sociologist Max Weber as a “concept in theology, sociology, and history which emphasizes hard work, frugality, and diligence as a constant display of a person’s salvation in the Christian faith.” This paper will demonstrate the degree to which the Protestant work ethic has influenced the development of American society particularly in regards to our perception of organized labor movements and attempts toward unionization of the working class.