Tucker Burtch

EN 101

Summary/Response Essay

17 November 2020

Dirty Trades work and Clean Office Work

Would you rather work with your hands right out of high school and be making more

than some of the students who invest in college just to sit inside all day? Both have their

advantages and disadvantages as Matthew B. Crawford, an American writer and author, shares in

“The Case for Working With Your Hands”. Crawford claims that while some people are smart

enough to earn a college degree, they may not like the line of work they end up in; Crawford

correctly affirms that those in trades think differently, use personal skills to make an impact, and

are assumed stupid because the work they do is dirty.

Even though some kids are smart enough to earn a college degree, it does not ensure they

will be satisfied with their job after their education. This is why some individuals choose

blue-collar occupations over office jobs. Additionally, blue-collar work can be as intellectually

challenging as white-collar work. Crawford affirms that he was able to get his PhD and pursue a

career in the area of his degree. However, when he started working, he felt his work was not

important and became redundant. He later found out that his co-workers did not enjoy it either.

Crawford then shares that he started working on a Honda motorcycle and enjoyed doing the

work and the thought it required. When he hit a spot where he did not know what was wrong, he

went to a friend who had been fixing motorcycles for years. Crawford claims that this is what

changed his career as he felt fixing motorcycles and using his hands better suited him. Crawfords
shares “Put differently, mechanical work has required me to cultivate different intellectual

habits.” Although he had his PhD., he was making more money fixing motorcycles and enjoyed

seeing the change he was making and knowing he was a decent mechanic who felt he was doing

the right thing. Crawford then goes on to say, “A good job requires a field of action where you

can put your best capacities to work and see an effect in the world”(377).

Most trade jobs are dirty, which hints at why many people look down on the men and

women who do them. Crawford contends “The trades suffer from a low prestige, and I believe

this is based on a simple mistake. Because the work is dirty many people assume it also stupid”

(370). Crawford notes that since people in trades may be dirty and sweaty, others think the work

they are doing is stupid. In reality, most of the things are not possible without the “stupid” work

that trades do. For example, without trade workers, there would be no buildings in any town or

city, and if there were, there would be no electricity, plumbing, or framing since those are all

things done by trade workers. So many other things that we use every day were most likely built

or made by a tradesman who is dirty by the end of the day. That does not include the

maintenance jobs that often involve crawling into crawl spaces or the mud to fix something on a

house or building.

For many people, enjoying what they do is very important, so why not pursue a career of

interest or try something new? Crawford shares, “A good job requires a field of action where you

can put your best capacities to work and see an effect in the world” ( 377). A good job for one

person may not be a good job for another; each person needs a job that fits his personal needs

and includes an area where personal qualities and strong suits can be put to work so he can see

the change he is making in his work and how it affects people around him. Growing up, I never
thought that in high school I would be working at a cattle farm; instead, I thought I would have

to work at HyVee or an in-town job. Now that I work at a cattle farm, I would never be able to

work at a retail store as the work would be boring and have no impact on anyone except the

people who buy the goods in the store. At TransOva, the cattle farm I work at, feeding and

giving shots to housed cows and constantly mowing, weed eating, power washing, and spreading

manure affects many people on a daily basis. The manure goes to a crop field to be used as

fertilizer for the plants. The landscaping and grounds are appealing and well-maintained. The

power washing keeps everything clean and prevents injuries to people or cows. Whether I am

just making the grass around the grounds look better or helping push cows through the chute, I

am making an impact on other people and even those I do not recognize.

In blue-collar jobs, people may have to talk with others about how to approach a problem

or think of the best way to remove something. Crawford states, “Put differently, mechanical

work has required me to cultivate different intellectual habits” (372). Doing mechanical work has

opened up Crawford’s mind to new ways of thinking and processing. When it comes to fixing or

building something, there is not always a manual on how to build a 24’ by 12’ overhead deck

with a 3-foot overhang or how to tear down a motor of an old tractor piece by piece without

damaging the frail parts and housings. All of these examples can cause people to think in new

and innovative ways that white-collar jobs will not allow as they can be restricted in their bias or

have limitations in which they cannot exceed such as word count or quotas.

Overall, there are many advantages for someone working with his hands if getting dirty,

thinking differently, and seeing what can be physically accomplished in a day is something he

enjoys. Some people should consider trades as there are many different aspects of learning and
thinking that are learned from peers and older individuals on the job. Compared to the office

where people are often in a competition or less of a teamwork setting than in trades. Do not

forget about the dirty work some people do as they enjoy what they do.

Work Cited

Crawford, Mathew. "The Case for Working With Your Hands." ​Acting Out Culture: Readings

for

Critical Inquiry​, by James S. Miller, 4. ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2018, pp. 135-138.