Historical context of work and its evolution
For as long as humanity has lived in groups there has been organised work to be accomplished for survival. What started out as mobile hunters and gatherers, turned to permanent communities based around organised agricultural production, with accompanying artisans, blacksmiths and potters, and over the centuries to barristers, professional athletes and marketing executives.
Fast forward to the present day, and the landscape of work is once again undergoing a profound transformation. The rise of digital technologies and automation has created a new set of opportunities and challenges. Roles like factory workers are increasingly being automated to improve efficiency and reduce errors.
Moreover, concepts like remote work and the gig economy have challenged traditional notions of work. Technology now allows us to work from anywhere, and many individuals are taking on short-term contracts or freelancing. The boundary between personal life and work has become more fluid, and people are redefining what work means to them.
Essentially, there is always a role for us individually in society, and many of us forge our own role, our own preferred niche, being self -employed or entrepreneurs. As we’ve developed, we’ve learnt that our jobs and employment will most likely change direction in the future, new jobs, new roles are being created daily now with this unprecedented wave of digital innovation and subsequent technical development. This technological push stems from the relatively sudden and huge growth, development and expansion of digital technologies, and the sudden need for an expanded and trained workforce. With these two factors playing a part in the way in which we go about work, we have had to ask the question – What is the future of work?