2023
DOI: 10.5840/soctheorpract2022412161
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What Is Meaningful Work?

Abstract: This paper argues that two orthodox views of meaningful work—the subjective view and the autonomy view—are deficient. In their place is proposed the contributive view of meaningful work, which is constituted by work that is both complex and involves persons in its contributive aspect. These conditions are necessary due to the way work is inherently tied up with the idea of social contribution and the interdependencies between persons. This gives such features of the contributive view a distinct basis from thos… Show more

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Cited by 5 publications
(2 citation statements)
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“…However, its existence does not present an overwhelming obstacle to the self-realisation interpretation. First, even if the work is intrinsically unsatisfying, people might still value the fact that they are contributing a useful product or service that satisfies the needs of others (see Tyssedal, 2023 andAlthorpe, 2023 for recent statement of this aspect of meaningful work). Second, the drudgery could be shared between everyone who is able to perform it.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, its existence does not present an overwhelming obstacle to the self-realisation interpretation. First, even if the work is intrinsically unsatisfying, people might still value the fact that they are contributing a useful product or service that satisfies the needs of others (see Tyssedal, 2023 andAlthorpe, 2023 for recent statement of this aspect of meaningful work). Second, the drudgery could be shared between everyone who is able to perform it.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…29 For these latter writers, the 'meaningful' in meaningful work is understood not in terms of fundamental meaningfulness or meaning in life, but instead only in terms of what might make work as a distinct activity meaningful. 30 Regardless of the exact way meaningful work is characterized, institutional implications for accounts of justice that value meaningful work include guarantees of complex and interesting work, as well as work that gives workers a democratic say in managerial decisions. 31 Why will these four benefits not be missed in a post-work world?…”
Section: Meaningfulnessmentioning
confidence: 99%