The Idea of Work in Europe from Antiquity to Modern Times

Hausväterliteratur in the Educationand Spirituality of a Noblemanin the Early Modern Era

“…Libraries contained so many of these works that there is no question of their influence on the community of readers (Čapská, 2016;Rychnová, 2020). As is implied by the titles as well as by the aforementioned original general name for this type of literature -oeconomica -the primary purpose of these books was to provide the readers with guidance on how to properly administer the property in their care (Lis & Ehmer, 2009). They were undoubtedly the first reference aid to which the manor owner or his wife would resort when in doubt over some specific and practical matter regarding the "household", for instance, sowing the fields, planting trees, crops, making honey, building a house or structuring the garden.…”

“…They were undoubtedly the first reference aid to which the manor owner or his wife would resort when in doubt over some specific and practical matter regarding the "household", for instance, sowing the fields, planting trees, crops, making honey, building a house or structuring the garden. From our perspective, this means managing one's property so as to eventually achieve a certain economic prosperity (Fussell, 1969;Lis & Ehmer, 2009). The reader was thus exhorted to become a "good housekeeper" and one who develops the family property.…”

From worktime reduction to a post-work future: Implications for sustainable consumption governance

“…The key contention is that improvements in labour productivity can be used either to decrease worktime (hence increasing leisure and opportunities for non-working activities) or to enhance consumption volumes. From the latter decades of the nineteenth century through the first third of the twentieth century, combinations of social mobilization and legislative reform led to a decrease in working hours across most of Western Europe and North America (Negrey, 2013;Ehmer and Lis, 2016). This trend continued after World War II and was especially marked in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands because of political commitment to more equitable distribution of available employment (Eichengreen, 2008).…”