How does Whyte regard the postwar figure whom he calls “the Organization Man”? Is Whyte a proponent of cultural conformity, or is he a critic of it?
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Whyte regards “the organization man” as an individual trapped within the ideological fervor of the post-war era. He reacts to the vision of 1950’s America as an illusion of uniformity and adherence to a nonsensical ideal, as people hold onto the unity bred during the war and simultaneously attempt to retain the individualism characteristic of the long-revered American Dream. Whyte frowns upon the need of “the organization man” to justify all of his actions within the organization. He describes the values that “the organization man” holds onto as “psychologically necessary” in order for them to uphold the fragile suggestion that their lives are actually meaningful even in a monochromatic society. Whyte connects his idea of a Social Ethic- the need to justify overwhelming societal pressures upon the individual- to “The organization man’s” struggle to uphold the illusion of individualism in a place where homogeneity and collectiveness is overpowering. Whyte cautions against this practice, stating that the illusion of conformity and cooperation that veils man’s inherent desire for individuality will eventually rupture, leading to harsh conflict.
Whyte regards the postwar figure, “the Organization Man,” as a metaphor for the norm in society. He describes a suburban, white-collar worker who is practically forced into following the rest of society in the workforce due to the Organization’s pressures of being similar to those around you. The “Organization Man” must vow to be a part of the Organization. The figure can disagree with those around him internally, but on the outside they are trapped within a “brotherhood” with no chance of escaping. Whyte shows how the Cold War created a sense of Utopia or a picture perfect world from an outside view, but let the reader see how on the inside there was conflict. The “Organization Man” is so similar to the rest of society and “pretended” to believe that everyone was able to achieve the American Dream, thus all characteristics of individuality was lost. Whyte dislikes how the postwar era has created a man that has no depth and simply survives rather than lives due to fear.
An important theme Whyte brought to the readers attention was the idea of the individual vs. the authority. Whyte was a critic of cultural conformity and made sure the reader understood how individualism is what makes people so special. When everyone tries to be the same and follow the pack, it creates a boring society. The quote that really proves this is that an “organization has been made by man; it can be changed by man.” Whyte shows the perks of the Organization, but ultimately shows how the Organization destroys a society and doesn’t build it up. That is why if an organization is created where everyone follows the social norms and conforms to a soul power, then the only people who can make the change to fix it is those who created it in the first place: man.