Work and Unemployment Sociology of the Workplace

Studying Work

Define WORK

What does work mean? How do we define work? Does unpaid labor = work?

Now imagine you have just won the lottery (millions!) and financially do not need to collect a pay check. Describe your decision to either continue to work or not work and what work means to you.

In some ways, it could be said that 'work' is primarily defined by its compulsory nature. People work because they must earn a paycheck. Someone with a trust fund does not have to work. He or she might volunteer to work for a charity or elect to play golf for many hours a day, 'working' hard at these endeavors. But this is usually not defined as 'work' because these are not paid positions. The dividing line between work and a hobby is usually cast in monetary terms -- someone can be a serious amateur tennis player, but the player can only call tennis a job if he or...

Even in terms of how we use language regarding some forms of unpaid labor, such as 'homework' and 'working out,' there is usually an element of 'having' to do the task for some reason, even if only 'for our own good.' However, some people do define work in a slightly different way, such as an artist who says that his real 'work' is painting, while his 'day job' as a waiter is just a job, not real work.
If I won the lottery, I probably would do some form of work in the sense that I might pursue a career path as a musician because it is my passion, or invest in a business out of personal interest. I would be able to take greater risks because I would not have to worry about my future financial security. I would still 'work,' but the work I selected would feel more like a hobby rather than work because I would be able to select what was purely pleasurable for me to do, rather than simply what paid the bills.

Discussion #2…