Dimensions of Work
Aesthetic
The aesthetic of a work activity links both one’s own perception of one’s work and how others perceive it. Work activities can be seen as ‘beautiful, comfortable, pleasant’ or as ‘ugly, dirty, uncomfortable’. Not just material conditions but, likewise, stereotypes and social gender roles influence how work ‘looks’ and ‘is looked at’.
Character
Scope
Interactive Example
Move the slider to discover how the aesthetic of work can be perceived from different perspectives.
To see and to be seen
The 'look' of work
Sometimes, how other people perceive a work activity differs strongly from what ‘really’ happens – or from what the working person notices from their perspective. This relates to how work and its environment look, but also to the activities and tasks themselves.
In Conversation
Gendered occupations
Beate Littig explains why societal stereotypes are linked to gendered divisions of labour - and pay:
Beate Littig, Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna
Understanding work quality
Dimensions of Work
Research shows that not just the surrounding conditions matter when evaluating whether people experience higher or lower quality of work. Here you can find information and illustrations on the diverse aspects that matter for work quality. We have further developed a tool based on this model which allows you to explore and reflect on your own work quality. This tool is suitable for both paid and unpaid activities – so you don’t have to be in employment to give it a try.
Conditions
Scope
Aesthetic
Character
Recognition
Reward
Power structures
