TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fitzi, Gregor
A1  - Mele, Vincenzo
T1  - The corrosion of character
BT  - Work and personality in the modern age
JF  - Journal of Classical Sociology
N2  - The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between work – in the sense of labour – and personality. Its aim is to show that the thinking of these ‘founding fathers’ of sociology can furnish valuable insight into the current issue of the corrosion of character in contemporary post-Fordist society. The concept of work still represents one of the major factors determining modern individuals’ ability (or inability) to formulate personal, stable identities that enable them to become fully socialized. Both Simmel and Weber make reference to a common theoretical background that views the human being as a creature with originally rational potential, who is faced with the task of becoming a personality by means of consciously chosen life behaviour: This is evident in the parallelism between Simmel’s interest in the concept of ‘style of life’ (Der Stil des Lebens) and Weber’s research on the ‘life conduct’ (Lebensführung) that arose in Western rationalistic culture.
KW  - Character
KW  - conduct of life
KW  - flexibility
KW  - identity
KW  - lifestyle
KW  - personality
KW  - Simmel
KW  - Weber
KW  - work
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1177/1468795X17693436
SN  - 1468-795X
SN  - 1741-2897
VL  - 17
IS  - 2
SP  - 143
EP  - 155
PB  - Sage Publ.
CY  - London
ER  -