What’s A Work Week?
Time is an important concept. Maybe
now more than ever because it helps us structure our daily lives in a
comprehensible way. We created a seven-day week to develop cycles we all could
follow. Ironically, however, time is not something we can control.
Today’s technology gives our sense
of time a rigidity that results in it becoming our foe. We are always working
with and against time. It wasn’t always
so. People worked hard and had a few days off each week to spend time for families
and relaxation.
Can you imagine doing that with your
smartphone always nearby?
Here’s a look at how Katrina Onstad
of Quartz Magazine treats the idea of time and the work week.
Time Becomes Boss
Since the Industrial Revolution,
clocks have driven our tasks. Productivity is now measured by how much work can
be extracted in a given amount of time. This led to inhumane treatment of
workers in order to meet the demands of ticking time. during that period, Breaks
were reduced or, in some cases, eliminated completely. Time had now become the
boss.
Original Weekend
Before the official weekend was
created, many people had a few days off anyway. Employees would take off the
day after their received their pay checks to enjoy themselves. This
celebration, if you will, involved spending hard-earned money. Even low-paid
workers were known to sacrifice a day’s pay to have a few days of relaxation.
Capitalist Contribution
The American auto-tycoon Henry Ford
is to thank for the work schedule we have in our country today. In 1914, Ford
doubled the hourly wage of workers in his factories to drive more demand for
his product and give people incentive for working hard at their job. Ford
figured that people who take off two days a week to spend time on leisurely
activities have more possessions and a greater need for transportation. This
coincides with our current sense of the weekend as a time for both relaxation and
consumption.
In next week’s blog, we’ll look at
other time-related factors that have shaped our notions of what a work week is.
To read Onstad’s
complete article, click here.
Related Information
Silly & Smart
No comments:
Post a Comment