Aman Kayal, Academic Content Writer at Edumarz
People do a variety of work. Some work on farms, in factories, banks, shops and many other workplaces; yet a few others work at home. Work at home includes not only traditional work like weaving, lace making or a variety of handicrafts but also modern jobs like programming work in the IT industry. Earlier factory work meant working in factories located in cities whereas now technology has enabled people to produce those factory-based goods at home in villages. During Covid 19 pandemic in 2020-21, millions of workers delivered their products and services through work from home. Why do people work? Work plays an important role in our lives as individuals and as members of society. People work for ‘earning’ a living. Some people get, or have, money by inheriting it, not working for it. This does not completely satisfy anybody. Being employed in work gives us a sense of self-worth and enables us to relate ourselves meaningfully with others. Every working person is actively contributing to national income and hence, the development of the country by engaging in various economic activities — that is the real meaning of ‘earning’ a living. We do not work only for ourselves; we also have a sense of accomplishment when we work to meet the requirements of those who are dependent on us. Having recognised the importance of work, Mahatma Gandhi insisted upon education and training through a variety of works including craft. Studying about working people gives us insights into the quality and nature of employment in a country and helps in understanding and planning our human resources. It helps us to analyse the contribution made by different industries and sectors towards national income. It also helps us to address many social issues such as exploitation of marginalised sections of the society, child labour, etc