Chapter 2 The Nature of Work Perception of Work

What is work ? Different accounts have been advanced at

various times to describe the nature and purpose of work
vis-à-vis the continued existence of man and society. A
WORK is an activity that is necessary for our physical
select number are presented here.
survival and well being. Work is essential in providing us
our basic need for food, clothing and shelter.
Work as Devine Punishment. In early Christian
tradition, work was regarded as punishment by God to
Preservation of life is our most important duty- because
human beings for their pride and disobedience. The
life makes possible the performance of our other duties.
story in the Book of Genesis tells hoe Adam and Eve
Preservation of life is also our right- because life allows
were vanished from the Garden of Eden and doomed to
us the enjoyment of our other rights.
toil the rest of their lives because of their disobedience to
God’s will.
THE MEANING OF WORK
Work basically entails conscious and sustained
physical or mental efforts to do. Usually, it is performed Work as a Right.Work is perceived as a matter of right.
for renumeration, that is, as a means of livelihood. As Everyone has the right to work based on man’s right to
such, work is sometimes understood as employment, self preservation.To preserve one’s life requires one to
occupation or profession. have a right over the means with which to satisfy his
basic need for food, clothing, and shelter,
Employment implies work for which one has been hired
Work as a Source of self-Pride and Self-respect.
and is being paid by an employer, it is called occupation
Work is necessary not only for self-preservation, but also
if work is the result of training and performed on a
for personal growth and self- improvement. By working,
regular basis. An employed worker is formally called
a person derives goods necessary for him to live a
employee, and a worker who is paid in exchange
comfortable and satisfying life. Work affords a person
primarily for his physical labor , is called laborer
with a greater sense of independence, self-worth and
self-respect. To work is to live ably and independently of
A form of occupation which makes use of a specialized another. If works is denied him, he will be forced to rely
type of work is what we call profession. Profession has on and be a burden to another person- a situation that is
been defined, in general way , as a calling in which its not favorable to one’s self-respect and personal
members profess to have acquired special knowledge by development.
training or experience or by both, so that they may guide
or advice or serve others in that special field. It implies
Work as a Determination of Personal Qualities. Work
professed attainments in special knowledge, as
is also perceived today for its social significance in
distinguished from  mere skill, a practical dealing with
defining a person. The quality of a worker is reflected the
affairs, as distinguished from mere study or investigation
quality of his work. Well-organized work and work done
and an application of such knowledge to users for others
on schedule simply a reliable, disciplined and
as a vacation, as distinguished from its pursuit for one’s
conscientious worker. As personal goodness is
own purposes
measured by how a person does his work, society
The History of Work
comes to admire workers who do their jobs with utmost
prudence, skill and dedication.
Through the ages, man worked in various forms
and under various conditions. Hunting and gathering
Work as a Determinant of Social Class. Work defines
food were the first known activities of early humans. But
the social status of people. Modern political and
when primitive people discovered agriculture, simple
economic theorists, most notably Karl Marx, classify
gathering and , to a certain extent, hunting have been
people into two classes, each identifiable by the general
replaced as major source of food supply. The
nature of their work. Those who sell their physical labor
advancement in agriculture and improvement in
for wages in order to live belong to the working class, the
metallurgy paved the way for the significant changes in
proletarian- they are called laborers or proletariats.
the nature of early societies and the nature of work.
Those who manage the business, or control the activity
Machineries, as instruments of production, enhanced
of the firm are called capitalist or bourgeoisies.
man’s capacity for work, allowing him to produce goods
in quantities never thought before possible. The
introduction of these amazing tools ushered in the dawn Work as a Basis for Cooperation. Workers work not
of the revolution in industrial production. From these new only to survive but also to prosper materially.
conditions, two social classes emerged, engulfing the Businessmen do business primarily for profit. They
remnants of all previous class structure. The two major employ workers because they cannot run the business
classes- best known in political science and economics- alone.Workers in turn, offer their services because they
are the working class ( workers or paid laborers ) and lack capital. In such a relationship, workers need the
the ruling class ( capitalist businessmen., employers businessmen just as businessmen need the workers.