Work = Work ? Work : In Defence of Play
ISSN
1473-2866
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2010-05-05
Author(s)
Krempl, Sophie-Thérèse
;
Beyes, Timon
Abstract
In contemporary capitalism, the call for papers posits, 'play' can no longer be seen as an other to work. Instead, it has been swallowed up by current mechanisms and modalities of workplace control: "When employees are urged to reach out to their 'inner child', it becomes clear that the traditional boundary between work and play is in the process of being demolished." Well, is it? Our paper will be dedicated to a careful interrogation of this claim. Apart from the fact that not-so-playful forms of primitive accumulation are terribly alive and kicking, postulating the collapse of play into work provokes the necessity to look into the notions of both work and play and the paradox that seems to be at work here. For how can work become play (and cease to be work?) or play become work (and cease to be play?)? Departing from this simple question, the aim of our paper is to contextualise, deepen and complexify the critical analysis of contemporary work relations.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
No
Book title
Work, Play and Boredom
Publisher
Ephemera
Publisher place
Leicester, UK
Event Title
ephemera Conference 2010
Event Location
St. Andrews, UK
Event Date
05.-07.05.2010
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
61344