4. Ora et Labora

02.12.2020

Did the rise of the managerial class increase productivity in the workplace? From bored employees that hate their jobs, to work induced involuntary choreas, to compulsory jolly service workers, to tech work cults and spiritual marketing consultants, the chapter explores the values and principles we associate with work as well as the theological standings behind the relationship of salvation and industriousness.

References:

00’18” Strange U “Part Machine”

01’57” Excerpt from Adam Curtis, “The Engineer’s Plot”, Pandora’s Box

02’37” Daft Punk “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”

02’55” Karl Marx, Capital vol.1 , 1991, p. 512 read by Flora Wolpert Checknoff

04’27” Camillo Berneri, “The problem of work”, Why Work? Arguments for the Leisure Society, 2019 p.38 ready by Laurence Henriquez, Kari Robertson, Flora Wolpert Checknoff, Jo Willoughby and Bobby Sayers

05’08” Camron “I Hate My Job”

05’45” Excerpt from Harun Farocki, La Sortie d’usine, 1995

07’31” Quoted from Frederick Engels, Origins of the Family, Private Property, and the State, 1884

08’18” Missy Elliott “Work it”

09’30” Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink “Worth It” 

11’00” Aditya Bahl, “Episode One: All The Factory’s A Stage” ready by Santiago Pinyol

14’27” Kelly Rowland “Work”

16’03” Excerpt from Mike Judge, Office Space, 1999

17’48” Quoted from Preoccupying: Mark Fisher

18’10” Quoted from David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, 2018 p.30

18’40” David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, 2018 p.30 read by Jo Willoughby

20’26” Fountains of Wayne, “Bright Future In Sales”

21’28” Quoted from Camillo Berneri, “The problem of work”, Why Work? Arguments for the Leisure Society, 2019 p.37

21’43” Camillo Berneri, “The problem of work”, Why Work? Arguments for the Leisure Society, 2019 p.37 read by Kari Robertson

22’44” Ciara ft. Missy Elliott “Work”

23’50” Excerpt from Abraham Maslow and Self Actualization, 1968

25’33” Excerpt from Slavoj Zizek, on freedom 

26’37” Quoted from “The great London dock strike”, 1889

27’03” Queen “I Want to Break Free”

28’13” Quoted from Kate Soper, Post-Growth Living For an Alternative Hedonism, 2020, p.91 

28’22” Excerpt from WeWork, “Life at WeWork”

29’22” Future ft. Drake “Life is Good”

30’46” Excerpt from BBC News, CEO Secrets: Pret A Manger boss Clive Schlee

31’00” Paul Myerscough, The Pret Buzz, 2013 read by Kari Robertson

32’00” Ariana Grande “Fake Smile”

33’27” Sublime “I love my dog”

34’40” Excerpt from The Holy Bible, Colossians Chapter 3

35’10” Gretchen Purser and Brian Hennigan, Cleaning Toilets for Jesus

35’50” Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, 1930, p. 121-122 read by Laurence Henriquez

38’05” Excerpt from Elon Musk, Work Every Walking Hour

38’50” Kevin Gates ft. August Alsina “I Don’t Get Tired”

39’45” Quoted from Gretchen Purser and Brian Hennigan, Cleaning Toilets for Jesus

40’08” Meja “All ‘Bout The Money”

40’59” Quoted from Nellie Bowles, “God Is Dead. So Is the Office. These People Want to Save Both”

41’42” Paul Lafargue, The religion of Capital, 1887, p.25-26

43’41” Quoted from Chris Maisano, “Working for the Weekend”

44’19” Tierra Whack “Unemployed”

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Lila Athanasiadou

Lila is awriter, programmer and researcher with a background in architecture.

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Image reference: Pieter Jalhea Furnius Luiheid, “Zeven doodzonden”, 1550-1625.

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1. Introduction

Image credits: “Radio Factory-women in Labor,” Union to Disunion, projects.leadr.msu.edu/uniontodisuni…tems/show/111.

Work, we love to hate it as we pay tribute to, sing about, reflect on and whine about it. Read more