Cubicle Blues
The closest I ever got to a cubicle was during business meetings with other companies - I think they are the most depressing and energy zapping system ever devised by the corporate “efficiency” machine. No wonder your boss probably doesn’t work in one 
Who, When, What, Why
When the creator of the cubicle, Robert Propst, describes his own invention as “monolithic insanity” - you know somebody is seeking redemption. Cubicles where invented about 30 years ago and are now a 3 billion dollar a year industry - they have since become the new crack of the corporate world.
The cubicle was created to allow an individual to be surrounded by their work - instead of having horizontal stacks of paperwork on their desk, the “happy” employee could now pin, store, classify and yes, horizontally stack their work all around them! Put up a wall for privacy and you have the perfect anti-social working environment previously reserved for communists.
Cubicles where models of efficiency, gone where the needs for a creative floor plan, replaced instead with a square marking on the carpet… then the tuna cans where rolled in and assembled. What use to take at least a week could now be done easily within an afternoon. Even better, they could be put into infinite rows - just like tombstones!
Employees could now work, eat and even take their breaks happily knowing that appreciation in the corporate box doesn’t only mean a number - but your very own cell!
Alternatives
Are there alternatives from “the cubicle”? Yes, it’s called “open concept”, sure it takes up a bit more room, boosts creativity and costs a little more to set-up but hey - how better to show employee appreciation then to allow them the luxury of an open space around them.
Cubicles in popular culture
Cubicles have been seen throughout our culture for the evil boxes they are - you can even see their evolution in Futurama in which they become the Suicide Box at the corner of every street. What first comes to mind is Dilbert - a comic strip that pokes fun at corporate mono-culture. Hollywood movies that show this contraption also are seen in prominence within Office Space, Tron, Matrix and even the Drew Carey Show among many others.
My personal experiences
I think it was the year 2000, the last time I had a meeting within a cubicle that lasted about an hour - first 10 minutes where “look at all the crap people this person posted on their walls”, followed by 10 minutes of “this private place is actually quite loud” followed by “this place is boring” and it kept going downhill from there. Suffice it to say, I felt liberated when the meeting ended and was finally able to breathe fresh air (outside).
The Bottom Line
Life isn’t meant to be lived within a cubicle - they are no more then a glorified prison cell.
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