Bullshit Jobs

A Theory

paperback, 368 Seiten

Sprache: English

Am 7. Mai 2019 von Simon & Schuster veröffentlicht.

ISBN:
978-1-5011-4333-5
ISBN kopiert!
OCLC-Nummer:
1056738022

Auf OpenLibrary ansehen

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory is a 2018 book by anthropologist David Graeber that argues the existence and societal harm of meaningless jobs. He contends that over half of societal work is pointless, which becomes psychologically destructive when paired with a work ethic that associates work with self-worth. Graeber describes five types of bullshit jobs, in which workers pretend their role isn't as pointless or harmful as they know it to be: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters. He argues that the association of labor with virtuous suffering is recent in human history, and proposes universal basic income as a potential solution.

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hat Bullshit jobs von David Graeber besprochen

Worth a read

Many people feel that their jobs could be accomplished in much less than 8 hours every day, but social and economic stigma forces us to spend needless time at work, which most would rather spend doing other things.

On top of that, some jobs that exist in current society can be considered outright malicious and exploitative, and as such society would benefit from these not being done.

The author presents various examples for both arguments supplemented by self reports from persons in different professions which corroborate that this is a shared feeling, and explore the different impacts such work arrangements have on people.

The explicit goal of the book is to highlight that our current economic system is very far from the rational ideal it sells itself as, and to point out the negative impacts this has on an individual and social level, to foster debate about …

Much more than just the original essay padded out over 300 pages.

I was afraid that this was going to be a padded out version of his original essay, but I needn't have worried. Give Graeber 300 pages, and he'll give you ideas worth 600 of them. Coupled with his keen sense for observational comedy, and you get a book that's easy to read, keeps your attention, and highly entertaining.

Interesting Critique of the World of Work

This is an interesting read. It was interesting to me as someone aspiring to not have a job and close to making that happen. The look at "why have jobs?" and "why treat them as so sacred?" really hit home.

I have long said that this reverence for having a job is rooted in Puritanism. Recently I am wondering if it is more deeply internalized capitalist frames. Graeber's viewpoint is that it is some of both, which I found interesting.

This book was a good companion piece to Chokepoint Capitalism

Review of 'Bullshit Jobs' on 'Goodreads'

An eye-opening study of the Sisyphean tasks imposed on blue- and white collar wageworkers, as a mechanism of control, due to incompetence of rulers and/or by grindset moralism. Graeber investigates the historic and contemporary anthropology of work-ethic and the politics of subjection behind it. His conclusion: workers of the world, stop working!

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