Work and Non-work

Work and Non-work

Introduction

In order to study the relationship between work and non-work, which is commonly referred to as leisure, it is important to understand the meaning and definitions of work and leisure. Much of the course of lives of human beings is spent working, and work is usually known as paid employment, or some type of system which allows human beings to earn money (Clutterbuck, 2003, pp. 86). It is important for human beings to earn money because man is a social animal and lives in a society which comprises of people, where it is essential that one is earning in order to fulfill the daily needs and requirements of his own self and that of his surroundings as well.

Discussion

Work

The idea that earning is important to improve the quality of life and establish the status of an individual in society places greater significance on the importance of working, as when people have a job, they have a status in the society and it makes them feel that they are worthwhile (Clutterbuck, 2003, pp. 42). This is also the reason why people are willing to work at places that are away from home, because they know that at the end of the month, it will provide to be fruitful for them and will provide them with the resources they need to live their lives in the appropriate manner. Employment usually encompasses of work activities, tasks and duties that are performed during the working hours at the designated workplace, whereas work obligations refer to activities that are done in timings other than the working and are not carried out in the workplace. The time that is spent in doing activities like eating and sleeping is classified as existence time. Along with office work, people also have to manage their personal lives and work at home. Work done at home includes non-work obligations and activities such as performing chores, baby sitting and doing household work (Clutterbuck, 2003, pp. 118).

Non-work/Leisure

Leisure, on the other hand, is known as free time which individuals have where they are not obliged to do any work related obligations or any non-work related obligations. With the passage of time and advancement of technologies, the meaning of leisure has significantly changed for people (O'Loghlin, 2010, pp. 85). The new advancements in the world of technology have allowed people to rise above previous subsistence levels to a great extent. This has also caused cause people to have difficulty in making choices between work and leisure, as they faced with the dilemma of making choices between work and other productive uses of time. As Aristotle had pointed out, the whole of people's life is actually divided into two essential parts; business and leisure, or war and peace, and people aim at actions at what they deem useful, honorable and important (Swanson & Corbin, 2009, pp. 31). It is necessary to have business for the sake of leisure, to have war for the sake of peace and to have constructive ...