Melissa on Culture Study

[Melissa]

So I think when Fournier asks a room, who’s not here (because they weren’t able to take unpaid internships), it probably doesn’t make quite an impact. The US is an individualist segregated classist society (and in hard core denial about 2 of those 3 classifiers). What does equitable mean when people not being there - in their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, friendships - because of class or race is absolutely the status quo. And usually attributed to lack of individual effort. Can’t take on unpaid opportunities - you don’t want it enough or don’t deserve it. Because in the US, work is the holy grail of effort and sacrifice. What greater complement is there than “you’re a hard worker”. You’ve written extensively about how great capitalism is at turning systematic failures into individual ones and there is nowhere it is truer than in the US. I wasn’t so impressed by a company that takes vacay and “admits” their mistakes. Either you’re worker owned and lobbying for real change or you’re a cosmetic upgrade of all the rest. The plight of MBA grads at Goldman Sachs doesn’t really tug my heartstrings. I’m more curious as to where most high school and or college are employed and what do those spaces look like. Tech and finance industries are for the elite and perks at google don’t trickle down in any meaningful way (just cosmetically with foos ball and a bowl of cheezits). I appreciate your research and questioning what so many of us take for the air we breathe.