The Concept of Work in the Modern World
Jamal Mills
9/14/12
ENG 1100-29
What Work Is Reflection Paper
The concept of work in the modern world is abstract and its definition is constantly changing. What was once finite in its purpose and role in society can now be attributed to many different aspects. By its definition work is the exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. This in turn opens up the interpretation of work to include an array of things from the minute tasks of household responsibilities, to the physically demanding obstacle of construction work. However at its most basic level work can be classified into four categories, hard-labor, light-labor, household responsibilities, and leisure. These categories divide the concept but all retain the core definition which outlines work. Labor is the act of productive activity for the purpose of attaining a form of compensation, and in many cases economic gain. Hard-labor is set apart in its focus on strenuous work which is magnified by extensive repetition of a single task, the excessive toll which it takes on the body, or the increased amount of stress which it puts on an individual. As is said in Phillip Levine’s poem What Work Is, “This is about waiting, shifting from one foot to another. Feeling the light rain fall like mist into your hair, blurring your vision (Levine, Phillip. “What Work Is." Work in America (2013): 1. Print),” in describing the base definition of the hard-labor known as factory work. Other hard-labor positions would include that of law enforcement, construction workers, and even being a CEO of a large company. All these jobs, and those like them, require an advanced level of focus and/or strength to complete which classifies them as hard labor. These tasks are considered as work however because each one has a constantly growing list of tasks to complete which the laborers receive compensation for. By comparison light-labor is a form of work which one still receives compensation;
9/14/12
ENG 1100-29
What Work Is Reflection Paper
The concept of work in the modern world is abstract and its definition is constantly changing. What was once finite in its purpose and role in society can now be attributed to many different aspects. By its definition work is the exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. This in turn opens up the interpretation of work to include an array of things from the minute tasks of household responsibilities, to the physically demanding obstacle of construction work. However at its most basic level work can be classified into four categories, hard-labor, light-labor, household responsibilities, and leisure. These categories divide the concept but all retain the core definition which outlines work. Labor is the act of productive activity for the purpose of attaining a form of compensation, and in many cases economic gain. Hard-labor is set apart in its focus on strenuous work which is magnified by extensive repetition of a single task, the excessive toll which it takes on the body, or the increased amount of stress which it puts on an individual. As is said in Phillip Levine’s poem What Work Is, “This is about waiting, shifting from one foot to another. Feeling the light rain fall like mist into your hair, blurring your vision (Levine, Phillip. “What Work Is." Work in America (2013): 1. Print),” in describing the base definition of the hard-labor known as factory work. Other hard-labor positions would include that of law enforcement, construction workers, and even being a CEO of a large company. All these jobs, and those like them, require an advanced level of focus and/or strength to complete which classifies them as hard labor. These tasks are considered as work however because each one has a constantly growing list of tasks to complete which the laborers receive compensation for. By comparison light-labor is a form of work which one still receives compensation;