Sociology Work

According to Collins English Dictionary (2012), work is defined as “physical or mental effort directed to making or doing something”. One could therefore argue that any activity that requires effort can be defined as work. However, some sociologists argue that work has several definitions and that it is not as straight forward as it seems due to culture and attitude differences. Similarly, Grint (2005) claims that work definition is debatable and therefore, he examines a few assumptions: firstly, he examines how hunters and gathers worked to ensure survival of individual and society in general and concludes that activities like writing and reading may be disregarded as a necessity for society’s survival. Secondly, he argues that household …show more content…
Therefore, it is debatable that work is a way of life regardless of race, gender and whether one is paid or unpaid. Arguably, individuals are engaged in work just as much as they would when they lay down to rest or sleep. A good example of change is that of media: It could be contended that media not only serve as a secondary agent of socialisation but as platform for work. Use of media is becoming increasingly important to western society and while some individuals use social media as means of communications to their loved ones, others use it as platform to advertise their products and services. Marxists would argue that media is a product of capitalism and its purpose is to exploit and brainwash and socialise the working class into a state of false consciousness. This argument is supported by Palmer (2006) who claims that television has become the electronic babysitter. On the other hand, Functionalists would argue that media saves individuals time because of its readily available services and that it empowers the society by educating, creating employment, and promoting