Reasons People Work - To Meet Specific Needs
Discuss how individual needs are met through work (7 marks)
Through work, both paid an unpaid, an individual can discover and reinvent their sense of identity; though working often allows an individual to meet this need, some cases deny this to an individual. A volunteer employee at St. Vincent de Paul is able to create their sense of identity by showing the world they are the type of person to help; a kind and caring person you could go to at any time. The same can be said for an individual in the music industry who is able to bear their soul, their whole identity, through their work. This is a way in which work can fulfil this need, however, other needs, such as employment, often trump other needs such as the sense of identity, forcing individuals into desk jobs such as secretarial positions that lack a mark of individuality and identity that people crave. Oftentimes individuals find a way to meet their needs through work and succeed, however work does not guarantee the fulfilment of needs.
Describe TWO needs that are met when individuals participate in unpaid work (4 marks)
Unpaid work is an amazing opportunity for individuals to meet their needs of identity and education in a vast variety of ways. Unpaid work sometimes allows individuals to travel to other cities or even countries, such as volunteering to build houses in third world countries. This would allow the individuals to find themselves through the good work they do, which can help uncloud their mind and they learn how to work in a construction team and learn about the country they are helping. These needs can also be met separately as an individual can engage in the unpaid work of participating in a sport they love, meeting the need for a sense of identity as they identify something they love, are good at and belong in. Education needs can be met through trying a new class at a community college type setting or something smaller such as an online class to learn how to care for their garden.
Reasons People Work - Value and Status
“What a person does is more important than what he/she is paid.”
Justify this statement in two SEELS
Justify this statement in two SEELS
In terms of employment, a vast majority of individuals find a job based on their ability to perform the job and the job’s ability to provide an income to support themselves and perhaps a family. In this regard, what the individual is paid is the more important aspect over what the individual’s job entails. For example, an individual may be a fantastic painter and has a passion for art that could, given time, bring about some kind of artistic movement of it’s own, however, this individual may have a family to provide for, and so they take up a boring secretary desk job in order to earn the income their art cannot give them. While their job as a secretary is vital to the running of a company or business, it is not the reason this individual is in that job; they have little passion for the position and are more or less in it for the money, making their pay more important than the work. In this case, it is the economic wellbeing that is considered over the emotional as the income from the secretary position trumps the passion for art.
On the other hand, however, some jobs are the reverse as in the case in jobs like Prime Minister or even a prison security guard where the work they do, while it still may be dependant on the people the individual must provide for, is more important. For an individual to become wither Prime Minister, a prison security guard or any such job, they need some passion to drive them given the hard road they must take to achieve the position of Prime Minister or the dangers associated with working at a prison. An individual who is very blasé about becoming the Prime Minister compared to an individual who has worked all their life and dreamed of someday being in such a position has no chance of achieving it as they lack motivation and passion to hold the job. This is a similar instance in unpaid jobs such as a volunteer fireman where they do not partake in the job for the money but rather because they feel passionate about the work and want to contribute something to the community. Both economic and emotional wellbeing can be fulfilled in these cases, it is often the case of first fulfilling the emotional wellbeing and the economic is a welcome addition.
On the other hand, however, some jobs are the reverse as in the case in jobs like Prime Minister or even a prison security guard where the work they do, while it still may be dependant on the people the individual must provide for, is more important. For an individual to become wither Prime Minister, a prison security guard or any such job, they need some passion to drive them given the hard road they must take to achieve the position of Prime Minister or the dangers associated with working at a prison. An individual who is very blasé about becoming the Prime Minister compared to an individual who has worked all their life and dreamed of someday being in such a position has no chance of achieving it as they lack motivation and passion to hold the job. This is a similar instance in unpaid jobs such as a volunteer fireman where they do not partake in the job for the money but rather because they feel passionate about the work and want to contribute something to the community. Both economic and emotional wellbeing can be fulfilled in these cases, it is often the case of first fulfilling the emotional wellbeing and the economic is a welcome addition.
Outline ONE factor that impacts on how people perceive the value and status of work (5 marks)
The level of education required for a person to perform a certain job is a factor in determining how society sees this work to be of value and status within the community. A job that requires an individual to have completed their HSC and several years of university with perhaps multiple degrees would be considered to hold a job of higher value and status than someone who didn’t complete high school and works for a low income that barely sustains a comfortable lifestyle. For example, a lawyer who completed high school and went through 4+ years of higher education, while not always liked by everyone in the community, is valued for their work and is therefore given a status that entitles this individual respect. This can be compared to a council garbage collector, while their service is valued it is not given the same status as a lawyer as people perceive it to be ‘easy work’ not worthy of status.
Reasons People Work - Economic Reasons
This is one of the major reasons why people work. Economic gain or monetary rewards are given for labour, either through direct or indirect payments. Direct payments for work are usually in the form of a wage, salary or fee for service, which often includes compulsory superannuation. Indirect payments are non-monetary payments in return for service, such as a company car, bonuses, stock options, shares, corporate boxes or mobile phones.
Both direct and indirect payments enable workers to create a lifestyle and satisfy needs and wants. The amount of financial comfort will depend on the work pattern and occupation, as different work patterns and occupations attract different wages
Both direct and indirect payments enable workers to create a lifestyle and satisfy needs and wants. The amount of financial comfort will depend on the work pattern and occupation, as different work patterns and occupations attract different wages
The Labour Force - Labour Force Participation Across the Life Span
Account for labour force participation rates across the lifespan. Two Seels using infancy (0-2), childhood (3-11), adolescence (12-18), young adulthood (18-25), adulthood (26-65) and aged (65+) (6 Marks)
Full-time vs Part-time
Part time work is work that consists of less than 35 hours a week, wereas full-time is working for 35 hours or more per week and both usually have set days and hours of work each week. Part-time work is the more popular pattern of work for adolescence (12-18) and young adults (18-25) as well as the aged (65+) in some cases. For adolescence and young adults, this is the case due to their need for a more flexible schedule as they are either in high school or may be engaging in tertiary education which only allows them to work less than 35 hours a week. In regards to the aged, for those past retirement age, some are unable to live off of their superannuation or pension money comfortably, or they have no hobby to fall back on to occupy their time and so they may turn to part-time work to fill the time. Full time work is most appealing to adults (26-65) as they need this job to provide enough income to sustain their lifestyle and their family and they have this time free as there are little other commitments, such as school, aside from family they have to attend to.
Unemployed
Unemployment is the state of being without employment, but seeking it. This does not include those who are not old enough or are not seeking formal employment such as infants, children, some adolescents and many individuals past the retirement age. This common in the middle years of adolescence and is present to a degree in young adulthood. This is the case as 14-16 years of age is often when individuals begin their search for employment in order to financially support themselves and not rely on their parent/s/guardian/s to provide them with their needs and wants as well as being a way to start adding formal employment to their resumes. Those in the young adult age bracket may be in the unemployed category as they have just finished their high school or tertiary education and are only just looking for a job, not having had one when they were younger.
Part time work is work that consists of less than 35 hours a week, wereas full-time is working for 35 hours or more per week and both usually have set days and hours of work each week. Part-time work is the more popular pattern of work for adolescence (12-18) and young adults (18-25) as well as the aged (65+) in some cases. For adolescence and young adults, this is the case due to their need for a more flexible schedule as they are either in high school or may be engaging in tertiary education which only allows them to work less than 35 hours a week. In regards to the aged, for those past retirement age, some are unable to live off of their superannuation or pension money comfortably, or they have no hobby to fall back on to occupy their time and so they may turn to part-time work to fill the time. Full time work is most appealing to adults (26-65) as they need this job to provide enough income to sustain their lifestyle and their family and they have this time free as there are little other commitments, such as school, aside from family they have to attend to.
Unemployed
Unemployment is the state of being without employment, but seeking it. This does not include those who are not old enough or are not seeking formal employment such as infants, children, some adolescents and many individuals past the retirement age. This common in the middle years of adolescence and is present to a degree in young adulthood. This is the case as 14-16 years of age is often when individuals begin their search for employment in order to financially support themselves and not rely on their parent/s/guardian/s to provide them with their needs and wants as well as being a way to start adding formal employment to their resumes. Those in the young adult age bracket may be in the unemployed category as they have just finished their high school or tertiary education and are only just looking for a job, not having had one when they were younger.