ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the social and cultural construction of work over time. How work is defined has changed from pre-industrial times to industrial capitalism to the contemporary organisation of work in what is termed the ‘knowledge’ or ‘networked’ society. Paid employment is now what many consider to be work, yet other forms of unpaid work such as volunteer community work, housework, and childcare underpin much formal economic activity. The chapter discusses the writings of the major theorists Weber and Marx, the scientific management theory of Taylor, the humanistic conception of work promoted by Mayo, and management strategies of surveillance of workers. New information and communication technologies (ICT) have resulted in work being undertaken by a ‘knowledge’ class of professional and technical workers. The COVID-19 pandemic, improved internet transmission and computer technology have led to working from home becoming more common, so that the complexities of work transformation and work-life balance have assumed new importance. The question of gendered work, both paid and unpaid, remains an important social, economic, and political issue.
