Work, History of

Abstract

The article brings together two themes. First, it discusses the history of the concept of work, from the philosophers of Antiquity and the Judeo–Christian tradition to modern Western thought. Second, the article concentrates on the history of work as practice. In doing so, three perspectives are employed, which predominate in the historiography of work from its very beginning until present: work as production and application of technology, work as economic activity, and work as culture. Finally, the article discusses the relation between work and gender as a field in which concepts and practices of work are closely interrelated. The concept of work designates certain human activities; however, those activities that are considered to be work and those that are not, vary among different cultures and epochs. Each historical society has its own definition of work, and a variety of different conceptions are juxtaposed to one another within each society. How work is defined is closely associated with the value placed on it, and this in turn is connected with workers' positions in society. The history of work must therefore bring together two themes: the history of the meaning of work and the history of work as a practice. The relation between gender and work cuts across these two themes and shows how strongly they are connected.