Work or Labour (Additional Post)

In this post I will discuss Work and Labour, and how this relates to a game of memory.

I see work as something we do by choice, but does not have to be done for survival.  Arentdt (1958, p7) defines work as "the activity which corresponds to the unnaturalness of human existence".  As opposed to Labour whereby defined by Arentdt (1958, p7) as "the activity which corresponds to the biological process of the human body, whose spontaneous growth, metabolism, and eventual decay are bound to the vital necessities produced and fed into the life process by labour".  My understanding of labour is as an occupation participated in for survival, for example, preparing a meal is seen as labour although it could be enjoyable it is still an activity that is required to be done to survive, as if you did not eat you would not live.

There is no Labour in a game of memory as I am not required to do this activity for survival, therefore it is seen as work as I participate in a game of memory by choice. 

In class I am asked the question "What will I miss if I couldn't do this activity?". 

If I was unable to play a game of memory a number of affordances would be lost.  Firstly, I would loose connections.  Connections formed between my daughter and I of bring us together, and down time. Secondly, communication.  Communication between my daughter and I, as a mother/daughter relationship, friendship, and partnership. Thirdly, ethics.  Ethics of the joy and good a game of memory brings to my life.  Lastly, memories.  I have many fond memories of playing cards with family growing up, and this is something I wish to share with my daughter, and make new memories for her to pass on to her children.  

References

Arendt, H. (1958). The human condition. Chicago: Chicago University Press. 

Comments I have made on other students blogs:

 


 






Reference List (from all six blog postings)

Ambience. (2011). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambience

 

Caulton, R & Dickson, R. (2007). Whats going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.), Contemporary issues in occupational therapy (pp.87-114). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 

 

Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (2004). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson. 

 

Gibson, J.J. (1977). The theory of affordances. In R. Shaw & J. Bransford (eds.), Perceiving, Acting and Knowing. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. 

 

Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for Practice in Occupational Therapy: A Structured Approach to Core Skills and Processes. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

 

Huizinga, J. (1949). Homo ludens: a study of the play element in culture. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. (Original work published 1944.). 

 

Santrock, J. (1998). Child development (8th ed.). United States of America: McGraw – Hill Companies.