605. What Do People Do All Day?

215 snips

Oct 3, 2024

Guest

David Autor

Guest

James Suzman

David Autor, an MIT economics professor, and James Suzman, an anthropologist and author, explore the transformation of work in modern society. They discuss how 60% of today's jobs didn't exist in 1940, emphasizing the impact of automation and AI on traditional roles. Suzman shares insights from hunter-gatherer societies, contrasting their egalitarian practices with today's challenges in job satisfaction and stability. Together, they envision the future of work, considering how technology will shape employment and the nature of labor itself.

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ANECDOTE

American Mural Project

Ellen Griesedieck, an artist, created the American Mural Project.
This museum honors American workers, featuring various physically demanding jobs.

INSIGHT

Job Evolution

Roughly 60% of current US jobs didn't exist in 1940, according to economist David Autor.
New jobs emerge in areas like software, healthcare, and specialized fields.

INSIGHT

Tracking New Jobs

The Census Bureau classifies new job titles as they appear over the decades.
Autor's team used this data, along with patents, to study job evolution.

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Working

people talk about what they do all day and how they feel about what they do

Studs Terkel

In 'Working,' Studs Terkel conducts in-depth interviews with people from diverse occupations, ranging from gravediggers to studio heads. The book provides a snapshot of American working life in the early 1970s, highlighting the emotional and physical aspects of work. It explores themes of job satisfaction, the search for meaning, and the impact of work on individuals' lives. The interviews are edited to preserve the voices and stories of the subjects, offering a powerful and original perspective on work and its significance in human experience.

What Do People Do All Day?

Richard Scarry

This book introduces young readers to the bustling town of Busytown, where they can learn about the daily activities of various workers such as construction workers, firefighters, farmers, doctors, and more. Through colorful and detailed illustrations, Richard Scarry shows how each job contributes to the smooth functioning of the town. The book is filled with stories about building houses, mailing letters, putting out fires, visiting hospitals, and other everyday tasks, making it an engaging and educational read for children aged 3 to 7.

Work

A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots

James Suzman

In this book, James Suzman charts a grand history of 'work' from the origins of life on Earth to the ever more automated present. Drawing insights from anthropology, archaeology, evolutionary biology, zoology, physics, and economics, Suzman shows that while humans have evolved to find joy, meaning, and purpose in work, for most of human history, our ancestors worked far less and thought very differently about work than we do now. He demonstrates how our contemporary culture of work has its roots in the agricultural revolution ten thousand years ago and how the transition from foraging to food production and later migration to cities transformed our relationships, environments, and sense of time. The book also explores the impact of technological advancements, such as the Industrial Revolution and modern automation, on human work and society[2][5][4].

New Frontiers: The Origins and Content of New Work, 1940–2018

Anna Salomons

Caroline Chin

Bryan Seegmiller

David Autor

This research addresses the role of newly emerging job categories ('new work') in counterbalancing the effects of automation on labor demand. It examines the content of new work, its origins, and its impact on labor demand over eight decades. The study finds that new work has shifted from middle-paid production and clerical jobs to high-paid professional and low-paid service occupations since 1980.