ABSTRACT
All animal species on earth engage in work. In the so-called lower-order animal species, work is almost exclusively associated with the gathering or cultivation of food and the development and maintenance of protective habitats. Work in those contexts is physiologically and biologically necessary for the continued existence of the respective species. The same is of course true for human beings; they must work to have the food and shelter necessary for continued life. However, an additional psychosocial dynamic is associated with work for humans. Among people in most societies of the world, work has value and meaning beyond fulfillment of subsistence needs; it has the potential to fulfill psychological and social needs as well. Indeed, concern about and attention to this uniquely human psychosocial aspect of work are the bases of large portions of human social, economic, political, educational, and legal systems. Particularly pertinent here is that these needs also are the basis for a large portion of mental health. That is, for most people in most societies, the nature of a person’s work is integrally related to what the person is.
