I ponder this question a lot … what constitutes ‘work’? I ask this because half the time it seems to me that those who work the least (or not at all) seem to be the financially wealthiest in society – both a disturbing and ironical reality.
Here’s my take:
DEFINITIONS
a) Any human activity whose purpose is to produce & distribute goods/services for the benefit of the self and/or others.
b) The application of human energy to things which application converts, maintains or adds value to the worker, the thing worked on & the system in which work is performed (Sandra Wallman).
Let us also throw these additional definitions into the fray:-
c) An entrepreneur: (is) a person who undertakes a business or enterprise with the chance of profit/loss.
d) A thief: a person who steals secretly without violence (takes away value).
PREMISES/ANALYSIS
Now, (a) above implies that ALL work (should) correspond DIRECTLY to PRODUCTION. Therefore any activity does not correspond to production = instances of ‘non-work’.
(b) Implies ‘value addition’; for the sake of argument let us assume value means ‘economic value’. Moreover, let us say that this economic value must be felt by everyone within the population in question which implies ‘equity’.
(c) Is not concerned with production but profit and (d) takes value from others who are unaware of the fact that he is doing so.
QUERIES
1) Is trading in the debt market (bonds)/NSE (sec. market) = work?
2) Is a person who is paid for asking you to enter a matatu (you already were going to enter anyway) working?
3) Has a person who has charged a commission to A for buying shares from B, worked?
4) What is the difference between (2) and (3)?
5) How does trading in debt and/or NSE sec. market add economic value if it’s not = work?
CONCLUSION
Trade in the Nairobi Stock Exchange secondary market does not correspond directly to PRODUCTION therefore, by definition it is NOT=WORK.
According to (a), (1), (2), and (3) above are NOT involved directly in PRODUCTION so, they are not work.
According to definition (b), a person trading in the NSE sec. market is an entrepreneur because he is driven by profit, HOWEVER, he is also (d) because he is acquiring value without WORK (PRODUCTION) = usury/stealing.
So, would you rather have a population of people who work, or one which people trade in factors of production without working?
Elkana Frin
Work is anything that brings income
Stacy Wambui
What about unpaid internships, attachments and house chores?
Phanice Wamukota
Physics said that Force X Distance = Work.
To me , any effort exerted that will give a result equals work. A person seated in an office probably working on their computer to manage the stocks/bonds will involve their mind and a bit if muscle by either typing, Moving the mouse bla bla. At the end of the day, he has something to show for the whole sitting. So work is any mental or physical activities that will result in to a different state from what was already there. It can either just be productive or destructive.
Daisy Mwikali
A means of livelihood. In reality, work directly related to earning money. Not about growth, or skill building or making society better… It is selfish and biased.
Work is meant to mean much more but for me right now it is anything that brings me income.