Exploration of Work-Life Balance Through Four General Education Lenses

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Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc48494427 \h 3Lens Analysis: History PAGEREF _Toc48494428 \h 3Lens Analysis: Humanities PAGEREF _Toc48494429 \h 5Lens Analysis: Natural and Applied Sciences PAGEREF _Toc48494430 \h 6Lens Analysis: Social Sciences PAGEREF _Toc48494431 \h 7Lens Connection PAGEREF _Toc48494432 \h 8History PAGEREF _Toc48494433 \h 8Humanities PAGEREF _Toc48494434 \h 9Natural and Applied Sciences PAGEREF _Toc48494435 \h 9Social Sciences PAGEREF _Toc48494436 \h 10References PAGEREF _Toc48494437 \h 11
Introduction
Wellness is a concept that has been used tremendously in modern society in promoting health. Also, the terms “work-life balance” and “working culture” have been used in recent years in connection to wellness. A healthy work-life balance is especially necessary as it enhances the overall quality of life. According to Garcia (2015), a healthy work-life balance ensures that a balance exists among the eight dimensions of wellness such as occupational dimension, which refers to satisfaction with ones’ work, social dimension, physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, and financial dimension. In this paper, the changes in terms of values, norms, and culture that have happened in relation to work-life balance will be explored through four general education lenses.
Lens Analysis: History
History involves the study and examination of events that have happened in the past (Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), n.d.). An analysis of work-life balance is imperative in determining how the work-life balance has affected society and the current state of work-life balance in society. Examining work-life balance using the lens of history will not only offer an idea of where work-life balance is in current society but also how this issue has evolved over the years through different generations.
When we examine the older generation, it becomes evident that work-life balance was not given much consideration. The older generation (baby boomers) experienced many financial challenges when they were young, which led them to focus more on gaining stable employment and job security. However, this came at the expense of personal/ family life as they dedicated a lot of their time to work. According to Kohll (2018), approximately 80% of baby boomers, who currently hold the senior level positions in many companies, experience high-stress levels because they spend too much time at work taking care of work-related responsibilities. The next generation, Generation (Gen) X, had a different view on work-life balance. Due to the experiences of their parents, Gen X had an appreciation of work-life balance. They, therefore, focused more on family-oriented resources at the workplace that allowed them to spend as much time with their families as possible. As a result, they made maximum use of paid time/ personal time offs in comparison to baby boomers. To get more time for personal responsibilities, Gen X prefers employers who provide adequate maternity/ paternity leave, work from home opportunities as well as time for vacation (Kohll, 2018). However, the generation that has had the greatest a...