Student Electronic Assignment Cover Sheet

Ken Enaruna Student (s) Number as per your student card: 1432596 Course Title: BA Social Science Lecturer Name: Dr. Niall Hanlon Module/Subject Code: SSC387 Module/Subject Title: The Sociology of Work Assignment Title: Assignment Title: Sociology of work

An analysis of a short qualitative interview with [insert pseudonom (Ms Bugy] about his/her work experiences No of Words: 2073

SOCIOLOGY OF WORK

The idea of work is often seen as doing something for an agreed reward or gain and it is viewed as having a paid job. Understanding what work is in general it encompasses paid and unpaid work such as household work or repairing ones broken property. Giddens, in his view refer to work as the execution of paid or unpaid tasks, which require the exhaustion of mental and physical vigour, objectively in the production of goods and services that serve human needs (Giddens 2006). The definition of work is ambiguous however; it involves the use of energy, our bodies physically, mentally and emotionally it also involve the use of space, time and it does furnish our personal and social identity, labels and titles e.g. Doctor. In modern societies self esteems are acquired with the thought of going to a place of work and having a job, even where the work condition is unpleasant, dull and boring. It tends to structure elements in peoples psychological constitute and routine daily activities. The sociology of work in the terms of interpretive theory work can be subjectively understood as how people perceive, experience and give meaning to work. Basically being attributed to the physical, sociological, psychological and emotional personal experience of the individual in regard to its view in the meaning of what is work, some people can refer to their work with positive meanings e.g. benefits, high status and identity, extrinsic reward like money and being satisfied with the job, While others might have negative meanings to their work e.g. burden, mentally stress, physically exhausted and exploited. Conversely, work can be seen as an adverse psychological and social factor that can wreak havoc in human life, for example when one has no work or is unemployed. Studies have suggested that individual do go through a phase after realising they are no longer going to be working or have no hope of employment, if the unemployment continue distress and anxiety are predetermined which could later lead to ill health

premature death, attempted and actual suicide when on prolong unemployment, it is linked to lots of marriage breakdown (Macionis & Plummer 1998). Potentially, work has beneficial input in human life the daily activity of individuals are realise by their social interactions with others, Work occupy most part of human life than any other simple activity without an income anxieties about surviving multiply, it provides the ground to acquire and exercise skills and abilities work relate to how people shape their lives and identities and, as well how their lives are being shaped by the circumstance that they have to work (Watson 2008). The following interview was carried out to find, demonstrate and analyse sociologically the definition of work, individual experience and how they perceive work in their social aspect of life.

Ms Bugy is a one parent family mother with one child she has been working for the past 11 years on part-time as a sales assistant. She lives 50km away from her job and her child attends school in the same area where she works. Recently she lost her job and applying for a job seekers allowance, she got no redundancy payment from her job which went closed down. During the interview Ms Bugy express how upsetting it was for her, when she was told by her boss that the job was closing down she expressed that, the truth about the job was, she had somewhere to go and do something, which take away her boredom and for the fact of leaving home to do something. She was happy with the work though the wages was not satisfying, she mentioned that it helped her get around her financial problems. Ms Bugy on the interview constantly hint at the feeling of not knowing what to do now that she is at home and find the day dragging. Interviewer: Do you find being out of work a relief? Interviewee:

No I miss not going to work and not knowing what to do at the start of the day, I just get confuse. I drop my child up to school and I come home feeling not knowing what next to do, just feel confuse, repeating cleaning the house over and over. I hate not doing something

Analysing Ms Bugys situation from her experience her work becomes an advent of work slavery where she sees it as a solution to her daily social activities or a way of survival both socially and psychologically. If by the objective definition of work we face and accept all social activities that are in some way give a change to nature, allowing the acceptance of a set of activities too unpleasant to be of any worth. Alternatively if everything is work can any task done be classified as leisure or rest ( Glint 2005 ) Bugy was not happy that she is not working, when asked did she like the job, she said. I dont know how to put it, I feel the work is boring but, it help me get over the day, some day it is busy and someday it is very boring I feel satisfied at the end of each day of work. I feel I have done something and consume the time. I would change job if I had the opportunity. She mentioned that the fact that she is working other people look at her differently as a working class person and when questioned what way? She said she feel uncomfortable being among friends because they are likely to look at her as poor or a liability if she was not working. It could be notice that Bugy sense of identity is shape around the impression that she is working and are self esteem among her friend are the fact that she is working. The society view of an individual in

employment are different to when not employed as mentioned earlier unemployment play a big role in the ill health of many individual up to the family dissolution . Interviewer: do you value your work? Interviewee: Yes I value it, in many ways I can say it keep me going and I get paid at the end of the week, I feel with the busy life I would have with the work and my child it make up for a good living that I dont sit around all day doing nothing

Although, Bugy express that she would change if the opportunity arise, but yet she find what she does is valuable in the aspect that it keeps her busy to make her day when she was asked what motivate her in the work, she explained that she love to work and believed it is what she grew into that people should work to earn a living though she mentioned she dont earn enough wage from the work, but the fact that she is seen as a working class that she wakes up to something knowing it is a place she find interesting to go. Comfortably, at the end of the day it makes her feel good of herself that she had done something. Bugy, point out that her social interactions with her work colleague do motivate her to continue with the work though, the boss is not that all friendly, the work is tedious and the work environment is unbearable during the cold season as there is no heating installed. The boss restrict the use of electric heating making the work place very cold coupled with that, Bugy hate to be told what to do at work it discourages going to the work she mentioned that she would have preferred to be self employed giving her the flexibility of time. Strangleman & Warren analyse work to be what people do to earn a living and other reason are to

have self respect, tradition and feel forced to work because of the norm and values held in particular society (Strangleman & Warren 2008).

When Ms Bugy compare her experience when employed to now as unemployed she described unemployment as life disorienting factor that she get confuse not knowing what do at the beginning of the day when ask how she feel doing the house work Bugy responded by analysing that housework is more or less not work it is something she has to do daily and moreover being a woman it part of her nurture with that it feels like she have done no work and this also apply to minding her child she stresses that she is alone and share no house duty and even if she was with a man she would still have to do the house work and mind the child. Domestic work have become invisible since work is being seen as work to earn wages, housework as been seen traditionally as the domain for women while working outside the house is for men. Traditionally, in most society women do the housework and men work out to earn wages to survive the family the development and invention of facilities saw the domestic work change however the amount of time women spent on non paid work in the house has remain the same over the past century the appliances in the house only eliminated the heavy core of the household work (Giddens 2006).

Bugy was asked if she would work non-paid job only during the interview, her response was that she would like to do non paid work. Since she is unemployed and would prefer a work that is of her interest and would not be boring to her, she expanded that it helps to keep a healthy life style feeling involved in activities daily allowing for the chance to learn something different and meet different people. It will be more beneficial working in a professional environment of work compare

to her former work as a sales person. Basically, Watson as described work as occupying most part of human life than any other simple activity without an income anxieties about surviving, that it provides the ground to acquire and exercise skills and abilities. Work contributes to how people shape their lives and identities and, as well, how their lives are being shaped by the type of work, the circumstance and environment that they have to work (Watson 2008). Bugy would feel a different personality if she have the opportunity to work as childcare assistant rather than her usual work as sale assistant. Similarly, friends are selected base on ones occupation Ms Bugy explained that working as professional attract professional class of friends with this she would try to maintain a standard that retain that identity she noted in the interview that she had no third level education, however, she try to keep up to expectation with her peers to maintain respect to herself and to be seen as working though she dont like the work and the money is not worth it, the realisation of herself among her friends and in the society motivate her to keep working and even on non paid work. Gidden analyse that the work environment provides friendship and prospect to partake in a joint activities with others and when they are separated from work the person circle of friends and associate is likely to decline (Gidden 2006).

Conclusively, a situation like this of Ms Bugy she is now unemployed but her basic interest towards work are the fact that she has the opportunity to interact with people as a sales person she is likely to come in contact more with the public she see that aspect of her life as highly beneficial and for that she would prefer to work paid and non paid just to keep up her lifestyle that she is use to. Unemployment can be devastating especially after been in employment for a long-time, a continuous distress and anxiety could lead to ill health premature death, attempted and actual suicide when on prolong unemployment (Macionis & Plummer 1998). She could lose her self

esteem and identity within the society Bugy sees work as a healthy activity and a good impact to her life. Household works are more or less not realise as work. Basically, for the busy life of experiencing the paid job as vital for survival therefore viewing the domestic work as work done at ones relax time and not put under pressure. Being that it is part of the ways of life one was nurtured domestic work is viewed as not really a work.

REFERENCE Giddens, A. (2006) Sociology, Work and Economic Life: Ed. 5th. Social significance of work (Pp. 777-779) UK: Polity Press.

Grint, K. (2005) Sociology of Work, What is work (Pp. 6-7) Cambridge UK: Polity Press.

Macionis, J. J. & Plummer, K. (1998) Sociology, A global introduction. The Economic, Consumption and Work, Unemployment. (Pp.425-428). London: Pearson Education Limited.

Strangleman, Y. Warren, T. (2008) Work and Society, sociological approach themes and method: what is work (Pp. 9) USA: Routledge

Watson, J. (2008) Sociology, Work and Industry 5th Ed. Studying work and society (Pp. 1) New York: Routledge