Discuss the statement above with reference to a type of work that you consider to be significant. In your discussion, you should also make reference to ONE relevant theory (John Locke, Karl Marx or Émile Durkheim).

“If you ask [the actual worker] what he thinks the best part of his life, he is not likely to
say, “I enjoy manual work because it makes me feel that I am fulfilling man’s noblest task,
and because I like to think how much man can transform his planet. It is true that my body demands periods of rest, which I have to fill in as best I may, but I am never so happy as
when the morning comes and I can return to the toil from which my contentment springs.”
—Bertrand Russell, In Praise of Idleness.

Discuss the statement above with reference to a type of work that you consider to be
significant. In your discussion, you should also make reference to ONE relevant theory
(John Locke, Karl Marx or Émile Durkheim).

In your single, 800-word essay (including in-text citations, but excluding references), you
should:
• Identify a specific type of work and outline the nature of this work. (10 marks)
• Describe the current social and economic context of the type of work you have
chosen and show its impact on our society – whether socially, culturally,
technologically or economically. (20 marks)
• Explain how the statement above applies to this type of work. You must also use
ONE relevant theory from this course (i.e. John Locke, Karl Marx, or Émile
Durkheim) to help you discuss about the meaning and value of labour in this type of
work. (40 marks)
• Discuss how automation would impact this type of work. Your discussion should
focus on the worker and the work they do. (20 marks)
• Articulate your ideas clearly and grammatically. Include proper in-text citations and
references

The specific job you choose for TMA01 should not be among the jobs that have been
discussed in DB01 (Cleaner, CEO, General Practitioner, Retail Manager, Crane Operator,
Transport and Vehicle Engineer, Private Tutor, Cybersecurity Professional, Electrician,
Financial Analyst). You should also not choose jobs discussed in the study guide (Thai
fishermen, MDWs, hawkers, volunteers, housewives. You are also not allowed to write
about delivery riders, private hire drivers, and migrant construction workers as these have been assignment topics in previous semesters)

You are unlikely do well if you choose a job that falls into these categories since your response will lack original effort and ideas. Please see assignment clinic pdf for more
information.

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