Relevance: Sociology: Works and Economic Life. Social organization of work in different types of society- slave society, feudal society, industrial /capitalist society. Formal and informal organization of work. Labour and society.
For most of us, work occupies a larger part of our lives than any other single type of activity. In modern societies, having a job is important for maintaining self- esteem. Even where work conditions are relatively unpleasant, and the tasks dull, work tends to be a structuring element in people’s psychological make- up and the cycle of their daily activities.
Several characteristics of work are relevant here.
- Money or Wage: A wage or Salary in return from work is the main resource many people depend on to meet their needs. Without an income, anxieties about coping with day-to-day life multiply.
- Activity level: Work often provides a basis of the acquisition and exercise of skills and capacities. Even where work is routine, it offers a structured environment in which a person’s energies may be absorbed. Without it, the opportunity to exercise such skills and capacities may be reduced.
- Variety: Work provides access to contexts that contrast with domestic surroundings. In the working environment, even when the tasks are relatively dull, people may enjoy doing something different from home chores.
- Temporal structure: For people in regular employment, the day is usually organized around the rhythm of work. While this may sometimes be oppressive, it provides a sense of direction in daily activities. Those who are out of work frequently find boredom a major problem and develop a sense of apathy about time.
- Social contacts: The work environment often provides friendships and opportunities to participate in shared activities with others. Separated from the work setting, a person’s circle of possible friends and acquaintances is likely to dwindle.
- Personal identity: Work is usually valued for the sense of stable social identity it offers. For men in particular, self-esteem is often bound up with the economic contribution they make to the maintenance of the household.
Against the backdrop of this formidable list, it is not difficult to see why being without work may undermine individual’s confidence in their social value.
Herbert Spencer has defined simple society as one which forms a simple working whole and of which the parts cooperate for certain public ends. Simple societies have low division of labour. The occupational differentiation being limited primarily to birth, sex and age. These societies have no specialized economic organization.
- The productive skills are simple and productivity is low therefore these societies cannot sustain large population size-Small Population. Most of the adult members are engaged in food gathering activities.
- There is little or no surplus so the social inequalities are not significant and economic interaction takes place within egalitarian frame-work.
- The production system is simple but exchange of goods and services assume a complex form. The forms of exchange are reciprocal and redistributive type.
- Some of the simple societies inhabiting regions having abundant food and other resources indulge in conspicuous consumption.
- The members lack high degree of achievement motivation as there is neither any intense preoccupation on generation and accumulation of economic surplus.Infact most economic activities emphasize on giving rather than storing or accumulation. Private ownership of means of production is non-existent.
- There is no clear separation between domestic economy and community economy as they overlap to varying degrees.
- The economic system is dominated by sacred consisting of magic-religious ideas.
- The innovation is rare and change is slow. The customary practices and norms regulate production and exchange of goods and services.
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