The basis of human life is purposeful professional activity. It is at work that a person spends most of his time. Some do it for their own satisfaction and enjoyment, others do it to provide for themselves and their families.
Theory: basic terms, definition of "labor"
Labor is a direction of human activity, the signs of which are expediency and creation.
Category of labor - a set of a number of phenomena or concepts that have the same characteristics. The categories of labor activity include the content, nature and forms of labor.
The content of labor activity is a set of individual elements of labor, the identification of which occurs depending on the professional affiliation of the work, their structure, level of complexity and the presence of a certain sequence of execution.
The nature of labor is the qualitative characteristics of labor activity that combine several types of labor into a group according to certain characteristics.
Forms of labor activity - a set of types of labor operations, the implementation of whichrequires energy costs, the use of mechanized or automated equipment and machines.
Classification of labor activity: types and characteristics of labor
In fact, there are a lot of labor classifications. This is explained by the fact that labor is a complex multidimensional socio-economic phenomenon.
Depending on the content, labor is divided into:
- Mental and physical. There is no clear line between these two types of work. Therefore, a distinction is made between predominantly mental and predominantly physical labor activity. Mental labor implies the flow of active thought processes, and physical labor involves the expenditure of human muscle energy.
- Simple labor and complex. Simple labor activity, as a rule, does not require any professional qualifications, certain skills and abilities from employees. Complex work is only possible for people who have a specific profession.
- Functional and professional. In the implementation of functional labor activity, emphasis is placed on the performance of a certain number of functions characteristic of the corresponding profession. Professional labor acts as a subspecies of functional labor that creates a professional structure depending on the set of labor functions. Example: a teacher is a functional type of work, a drawing teacher is a professional type of work.
- Reproductive and creative work. Work of a reproductive natureimplies the execution of a standard set of functions, and its result is predetermined. Far from all employees show abilities for creative labor activity, it depends on the level of education of the worker, his qualifications, creative thinking and a penchant for innovation. This is the reason for the unknown result of creative work.
Depending on the nature, the following types of labor are distinguished:
- Concrete and abstract labor activity. Concrete labor is the labor of a single worker who transforms an object of nature in order to make it useful and create consumer value. Allows you to determine labor productivity at the enterprise level, compare labor productivity indicators of individual industries and areas of activity. Abstract labor is proportionate concrete labor, where the qualitative diversity of many functional types of labor activity fades into the background. Creates marketable value.
- Independent work and collective. Types of independent work include absolutely all types of labor activity carried out by a specific person-worker or a specific enterprise. Collective work is the work of a group of workers, the personnel of an enterprise, its separate department.
- Private and public labor activity. Social labor always consists of private labor, since the latter is characterized by a social character.
- Wage and self-employed types of labor. Hired labor activity is carried out on the basis of a conclusion between the employer andemployee of an employment contract, contract. Self-employment implies the independent creation of an enterprise and the organization of the production process, when the owner of the production provides himself with a job.
Depending on the results of labor activity, it happens:
- Live and past work. Living labor is the work of a person, which he carries out at a given moment in time. The results of past labor activity are reflected in the objects and means of labor that were previously created by other workers and are products of production purpose.
- Productive labor and unproductive. The main difference is the form of the created good. As a result of productive labor activity, in-kind benefits are created, and as a result of unproductive labor, social and spiritual benefits are created that are valuable and useful to the public.
Depending on the means of labor used in labor activity, they are distinguished:
- Handmade. Performed manually. Simple hand tools are allowed.
- Mechanized labor. For the implementation of the type of labor under consideration, a prerequisite is the operation of mechanized tools. Moreover, the energy that the employee spends is distributed to the instrument of labor activity and changes in the subject.
- Machine labor. The object is transformed through the operation of machinery, which the worker controls. rests on the shoulders of the latterstill responsible for the performance of certain functions.
- Automated labor. It involves the modification of an object through the operation of automatic equipment. The employee is required to exercise quality control over the mechanisms that perform all the necessary functions without involving the human factor.
Depending on working conditions, it happens:
- Stationary and mobile work. Includes all types of labor that are determined by the specifics of the technological process and the varieties of goods produced.
- Light, medium and hard work. Depends on the level of physical activity that the employee receives in the performance of certain functions.
- Free labor and regulated. It depends on the specific working conditions and style of enterprise management.
Depending on the methods used to attract people, stands out:
- Labor under foreign economic coercion. A characteristic feature is the lack of desire to work in a person. The employee performs labor activity under compulsion without any motivation (material, spiritual, etc.).
- Working under economic compulsion. A person works in order to have means of subsistence and support for himself and his family. All employees are engaged in forced labor activities.
- Work of one's own free will. A characteristic feature is the presence of the employee's desire to realize his laborpotential. The results of such work are for the benefit of society.
Basic forms of labor
- Forms of labor activity associated with the involvement of muscle activity. They require significant energy costs for the employee, since they are based on physical activity, and it is impossible to perform any processes in automatic mode. This form includes manual labor.
- Mechanized forms of labor activity. Characterized by less physical activity and complication of the action program, which is associated with the use of mechanized equipment.
- Partially automated forms of labor. In the production process, automatic equipment and machines play a key role, and a person is needed only to maintain the machines used. Characteristic features: monotony, accelerated pace of work, suppression of creative initiatives.
- Forms of work that require process control in production. Includes all types of labor in which the employee acts as a necessary operational link, and his main task is to manage the production process and control automated equipment.
- Intellectual forms of labor. They are characterized by the need to activate the mental activity of the brain, memory, attention, etc., as well as minimal physical exertion. This form includes managerial, creative and scientific work, as well as the labor activity of medical workers.
- Conveyor forms of labor. A characteristic feature: the division of the production process into separate operations, which should be performed in a certain sequence. Details for each worker are fed automatically through the operation of a conveyor belt.
Features of mental work
Intellectual work is an activity that requires the reception and processing of information data, the implementation of which occurs due to the activation of the thought process. Mental labor activity is characterized by a strong tension in the activity of the central nervous system. Also, there are cases when physical activity is necessary for the successful implementation of mental work.
Knowledge workers. Who are they?
Mental workers include managers, operators, creative workers, medical workers, students and students.
The category "operators" includes people whose labor activity is related to the management of machines, equipment, control over the flow of technological processes.
Administrative work is performed by heads of organizations, enterprises, teachers. Feature: the minimum amount of time to process information.
Artists, painters, writers, composers, designers belong to creative professions. Creative work is the most difficult kind of mental work.
Medical staff is also considered intelligent, but only those speci alties that involve constant contact with people - patients, and the performance of work requiresincreased responsibility, where the decision must be made as soon as possible, there is a shortage of the time factor.
The scientific work of school and university students requires the activation of memory, attention and perception.
Physical labor activity
Physical labor is carried out at the expense of certain physical activities. A characteristic feature is the interaction of a human worker with the means of labor. During physical labor activity, a person is a part of the technological process and an executor of certain functions in the labor process.
Mental and physical labor activity: physiological differences
Mental and physical labor activity are interconnected and interdependent. Any mental work requires certain energy costs, just as physical work is impossible without the activation of the information component. For example, all types of manual labor require a person to activate both mental processes and physical activity. The difference is that during physical labor activity, energy consumption dominates, and during intellectual activity, the work of the brain.
Mental activity sets in motion a greater number of nervous elements than physical, since mental work is complex, skilled, extensive and multifaceted.
Physical fatigue is more noticeable from physical activity than from mental labor. In addition, when fatigue sets in, physical work can be stopped, but mental activity cannot be stopped.
Professionsphysical labor
Today, physical labor is more in demand, and it is much easier for skilled workers to find a job than "intellectuals". The shortage of labor leads to relatively high rates for work that requires physical effort. In addition, if heavy physical work is performed in conditions unfavorable to human he alth, increased payment is provided at the legislative level.
Light physical labor is performed by: production workers who manage automated processes, attendants, seamstresses, agronomists, veterinarians, nurses, orderlies, industrial goods sellers, physical education instructors, sports section coaches, etc.
Professions with physical activity of moderate severity include: a machine operator in the woodworking and metalworking industry, a locksmith, an adjuster, a surgeon, a chemist, a textile worker, a driver, a food industry worker, service personnel in the domestic and catering sector, salesman of industrial goods, railway worker, elevator operator.
Professions with heavy physical loads include: a builder, almost all types of agricultural labor, a machine operator, a surface miner, a worker in the oil, gas, pulp and paper, woodworking industries, a metallurgist, a foundry worker, etc.
Professions with physical labor of increased severity include: underground miner, steelmaker, fellerscaffolding, timber cutter, bricklayer, concrete worker, digger, non-mechanized loader, building materials (non-mechanized labor) worker.
Labor functions
Labor performs the following functions:
- participates in the reproduction of goods (is one of the factors of production) aimed at meeting human needs;
- creates social we alth;
- contributes to the development of society;
- causes the development of scientific and technological progress and culture;
- participates in the formation of a person;
- acts as a way of self-realization and self-expression of the individual.
The role of work in human life
"Labor made a man out of a monkey" is a familiar phrase, isn't it? It is in this phrase that a deep meaning is hidden, which reflects the greatest role of work in the life of each of us.
Work activity allows a person to become a person, and a person - to be realized. Labor is the guarantor of development, obtaining new knowledge, skills and experience.
What happens next? A person improves himself, acquires knowledge, experience, based on which he creates new goods, services, cultural values, provoking scientific and technological progress, causing new needs and fully satisfying them.
