49 69210b5c-efdd-4e60-adf9-bde12ec21159 The Refusal of Work: The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Work David Frayne calibre (4.8.0) [https://calibre-ebook.com] 2015-11-15T00:00:00+00:00 <div> Paid work is absolutely central to the culture and politics of capitalist societies, yet today’s work-centred world is becoming increasingly hostile to the human need for autonomy, spontaneity and community. The grim reality of a society in which some are overworked, whilst others are condemned to intermittent work and unemployment, is progressively more difficult to tolerate. In this thought-provoking book, David Frayne questions the central place of work in mainstream political visions of the future, laying bare the ways in which economic demands colonise our lives and priorities. Drawing on his original research into the lives of people who are actively resisting nine-to-five employment, Frayne asks what motivates these people to disconnect from work, whether or not their resistance is futile, and whether they might have the capacity to inspire an alternative form of development, based on a reduction and social redistribution of work. A crucial dissection of the work-centred nature of modern society and emerging resistance to it, The Refusal of Work is a bold call for a more humane and sustainable vision of social progress. ** <h3>Review</h3> “This is the start of a conversation. . . . A liberating and a worthy provocation.” ( Financial Times ) “Frayne scrutinises the emergence of a working culture that sees some condemned to work harder than ever while others must cope with unemployment or underemployment. By exploring the motivations of those who resist the nine-to-five, Frayne explores the world of work that props up present-day capitalism.” ( Guardian (UK) ) “I found Frayne’s The Refusal of Work a fascinating book. Coming from a position of little exposure in these theories, it gave me a very concise run down of philosophical ideas and accounts around work, and the possibility for resistance and change. Again, it also opened up many more areas for further reading and research around these ideas. What I enjoyed most was Frayne’s main thrust and provocation in this text, the notion of freedom and, not just the possibility of, but the elevation and championing of leisure time.” ( Reflections on Learning ) “ The Refusal to Work documents a century’s worth of thought on work. The majority of the thinkers and theorists he covers predicated a radically different future.” ( Times Literary Supplement ) “Where other writers elaborate the scourge of neoliberalism—surely an important and pressing topic—they are less clear about how we, as individuals and political movements, might begin to build alternatives. Addressing this lacuna, Frayne’s approach is a refreshing addition to the conversation.?” ( Contrivers' Review ) <h3>About the Author</h3> David Frayne works as a part-time lecturer in sociology at Cardiff University and as a freelance research associate for Public Health Wales. </div> Zed Books 9781783601202 eng commoningcare