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The main question of this topic is "Why do we work?".
In a simply society you can easily see the relationship between work, needs and wants because there is a direct connection on what he does and what he gets. In a modern industrial society the relationship between a man's work and his needs and wants is very complex. Consider this discussion between a lorry driver and an old friend whom he has not met for a long time.
Friend: What job are you doing now?
Lorry driver: Driving heavy goods vehicles for sixty hours a week.
Friend: How much do you get?
Lorry driver: $ 300 a week.
Friend: Do you like it?
Lorry driver: No it's just a means to an end.
The lorry driver can't stand his work at all. But the money he earns enables him to spend money on food, rent, clothing and other necessities for his family and himself, with something left over his leisure activities.
In a modern society money is essential so that people can satisfy their needs and wants. Money is used as a medium of exchange and as a unit of account by which the value of all work and wants are measured. Where a person is not working for money it is usually easier to see why he works. If a man digs his own vegetable garden he is working to produce vegetables to satisfy his needs. If a young lady makes a dress she is working to provide herself with an article which will give satisfaction. Even if a person indulges in a hobby which costs him money he is still working to provide satisfaction. There are two main reasons why man will always have to work to satisfy his desires:
1. The goods that he makes will be used up.
2. Man's wants can never be satisfied.
A consumer orientated society which brings higher living standards will not necessarily increase the degree of happiness.
There are four main reasons why people do work:
3. Money: I' don't like my work. I never have. But it brings in money. I'd pack it in tomorrow, if I could afford to.
4. Job satisfaction: I enjoy my work. I like it because it involves helping people. I could earn more at lots of other jobs, but I wouldn't find them as satisfying.
5. Status: You work because you're expected to. Society expects it. If you don't work, you've got no status. But what's wrong with not working, if you don't want to?
6. A sense of purpose: Work gives your life a sense of purpose. If you haven't got a job, you keep thinking to yourself: "What's the point? Where I'm going?"
What do we mean by work?
In our modern society, when we talk about work we usually mean paid employment. Some people work at home, but most people go out to work. In many other parts of the world, the pattern of work is very different. The majority of people do not go out to work in the way that people do in Britain. Instead, they work on the land. Often, the work that they do is seasonal or temporary.
What jobs do people do?
Most people in Europe and in the USA work in the industry or by services. Only a few earn their money in the agriculture and about 80% are paid a wage. On the other hand most people in middle and low cost countries work in the agriculture and about 60% are self-employed.
Much more interesting as the question if housework work is, is the question if it is right that talented people such as sports-, TV- or pop stars should be able to earn huge amounts of money from their work? Jobs can be classified as those involving 'mental' work and those involving 'physical' work. Are either of these types of work more important than the other? Should people who do 'mental' work be paid more than those who do 'physical' work?
In the past, the term 'working class' was used to describe people who worked with their hands. Is this idea still true for today? How much are people labelled by the job thy do and the money they earn? He's a builder. He's working class. She's a teacher. She's middle class. What labels a person? Is it the amount of money they earn? The type of work he does? The type of lifestyle a person has?
First I'm going to answer the first question: "It is right that talented people such as sports-, TV- or pop stars should be able to earn huge amounts of money from their work?"
In my opinion it is not. And think countries as Sweden go with their policy in the right direction. Maybe you have spent there your holidays and went there in a supermarket. You would have found different products labeled with ABBA. Your are right, ABBA the pop group. If you earn more over than fixed limit of money a year you don't have to pay tax for it, instead you have to invest your hard earned money and in this way you help the others.
And I would answer the question if 'mental' work should be paid more than 'physical' work with no. I'm persuaded that we are all working for the same aim. What we all want is a defined living standard a high degree of happiness. Money is not all in the world and I'm persuaded that there are more happy people in the world who poor are than rich.
Unemployment
In recent years, the number of unemployed people in the United Kingdom has been rising steadily. By January 1986 a record figure were unemployed. Britain is not the only country with an unemployment problem. In Europe, unemployment has increased from 7 million in 1979 to 12,1 million in 1985.
What are the causes of unemployment?
Perhaps the major cause of high levels of unemployment in the developed industrial countries of the Western World has been the decline in demand for manufactured goods in both the domestic and international markets - the world recession. Other factors have, however, played a part in creating the problem. To begin with, nearly all western industrialised countries face an increase in the working population due to change in the age structure of the total population: more women in the work force, and more young people eligible for work. Further unemployment has arisen because manufacturers in Western countries have been unable to compete with lower priced imports from such countries as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan who employ 'cheap labour'.
In addition, an increasing amount of investment has not been put into new products, which could increase employment, but into new production process which often increase productivity through the more efficient use of manpower and machinery and the introduction of technological innovations- all of which can result in unemployment.
How technological change can cause job losses
1. The introduction of automated manufacturing systems - the use of robots and computer-controlled machines - means that fewer workers are needed.
2. The development of microprocessors and other microelectronic components means that machines are made from fewer parts. So fewer workers are needed to make, assemble, store and transport the machines.
3. The use of computers to store, process and transmit information has changed the nature of office working. For example, clerical jobs, such as indexing and filing can now be done by computers. So fewer clerical staff are needed.
And exactly that is absolutely wrong !
It's right that something is done by robots but only the boring, repetitive and dull work. On the next page in the article you can read the statements : "Yet, many of the people who worked in the factories hated their jobs. The work was dull, repetitive and boring. The factories themselves were often dark, noisy and dirty."
Now my question, who should do this work? People in the third world, Niger or Latinos? I'm convinced that what we under technical progress mean is, that the boring, repetitive and dull work is done by machines controlled by microcomputers. You'll know that someone has to designed them before they can work and that they will need services and that all this must be done by the human brain.
Wherever there is unemployment, it is often the young who are hardest hit
I've been looking for a job every day for three years. I suppose I have set over 500 letters applying for jobs. Do you want to know how many replies I have had - not a single bloody one. Yes, I'll tell you what I feel about being unemployed: I feel bloody angry about it. Ever since I can remember, my society has told me to work hard, get a good education and I'd get on in life. Parents, teachers, the government - they all said the same thing - work hard, go to high school, try for university, get a good degree, get an advanced degree. Well, I've worked hard all these years. They said "Sorry there is no job for you, we don't need you". They do not realise the danger of having hundreds of thousends of educated and active young men on the streets, but they soon will.
A 26-year-old graduate with Master's Degree in Physics from Calcutta University.
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