Journal Article — From Laundry to Social Justice to Counseling: Redefining Work as Synonymous to Life — by Caitlin Farren

In our culture, we are increasingly obsessed with paid work but seem to have lost sight of “life’s work.” In the U.S. what we refer to as “work” plays an instrumental role in the way we define ourselves. The importance of work need not be lessened, but the definition must be greatly expanded. “What do you do?” is one of our most common queries. The answer helps shape our perception of other people and ourselves, but in the wrong way. We do not need to stop asking. Instead we need to use the question to inquire about a fellow human being on a far more expansive level. In this article, I explore and question the concept of work in terms of a work utopia which can be seen as synonymous with life utopia. I will take a stab at DEconstructing and REconstructing the concept of work.