ABSTRACT
As I write this book there is a block of flats being built across the street. I find it interesting to observe people doing very different kinds of work to me. I have learnt that even a construction of steel and concrete requires quite a lot of carpentry. A team of carpenters works on the formwork. A man sits on his own way up in the air in a crane which lifts heavy loads, carefully guided by someone on the ground who wears a distinctive high-visibility orange suit, as well as the obligatory hard hat that everyone on the site wears; even the man on the gate who I would imagine is safe from falling projectiles. Sometimes surveyors arrive and squint through theodolites. Almost every worker I see appears to be a man except for one woman, a surveyor seen on one occasion. They are mostly white. I do not hear much of what they say but have heard languages other than English – East European, I would say. They start early by my standards – usually at 7.00am – and finish by 4.00pm, although sometimes a few workers seem to carry on until darkness or beyond (sometimes even late into the night). They seem to work steadily, although occasionally someone seems to be just standing around, or two men sit and chat. Their work is much more physical than mine – ‘manual’ work. Clearly they have to exercise skill, perform various calculations and stay alert in what is a potentially dangerous place. As they construct the building I construct this book. Sitting at a desk, typing text
using the keyboard. Is the work so different? It too requires planning, relies on the labour of others – those whose work I cite here but also all those who, in various ways, have influenced my thinking, including students, colleagues and teachers. There is also the work of editors, reviewers, printers, accountants. Perhaps there are differences between my work and that of the builders. Is this better work, more intrinsically satisfying? Why? Is it because it is self-directed? No one has told me to do this or is telling me how to do it – at least not directly, although of course there
are conventions to follow, publisher’s guidelines to consider, as well as the audience whose understanding and interest I seek.
