Modern Times

Week Three

This past week in my English class over Modernism, we watched the Charlie Chaplin film “Modern Times.” If interested, you can find the full movie here and the synopsis here. Bellow is the clip I’ll be reflecting on today. 

The clip you just watched is a perfect example of the X Theory, because Charlie's character was being treated like a robot that isn't capable of an original thought. They were making him work on a strict schedule because they assume he and his employees can only preform well and fast under these kinds of circumstances. Today I really just wanted to journal about why the Y Theory would personally fit me best.

I could never happily have a career in a job that supports the X Theory management. I like to think of myself as a creative person and would love to further pursue my love for photography and possibly land a job in another part of the creative industry, like advertising and so on… So the very thought of having all of my work planned out for me and on a very harsh and specific time schedule terrifies me. As a college student, I’m not going to be picky about my jobs just yet. Money is money; but having worked in the food industry, I already somewhat know how it feels to work under X Theory management. It’s just not for me.

I do need some kind of deadline and pressure for other people to really get my creative juices flowing, but if the stress is too much to handle, I just fall apart. It’s not a pretty site.

What always makes me most curious though, is does the Y Theory only apply to more creative thinkers? I found an example last week of how Ford’s employees thrived under the Y Theory even though it was an assembly line job. So maybe Chaplin’s character would’ve help a job better with some Y management in his life.