The culture of work

small ritual: I really want to flag this up: an excellent set of articles by Steve Collins on contemporary British work culture and its effects.

I've responded thus:
... [As a church leader] I became aware of two things: one is the disconnect between work life and church life the other is the way that for too many work saps energy from the rest of life; energy that used to be there for family and community and increasingly is not any longer. Of course much of our social structure is predicated on this volunteer army that can no longer volunteer because of work commitments. The government is even increasing reliance on it! Churches are being asked to step up to fill the gaps in community care/building etc at a time when they are less and less able to find volunteers to do the work.

So, ironically, church leaders begin to reproduce the same patterns when really they/we should be modelling a better way and encouraging a different culture.

I think that the individualising of response [vs unionised responses] is spot on -read Bauman's Liquid Modernity- it may be what lies behind the growth in life coaching [yes and I'm one, but critical and frustrated sometimes that what my clients really need is a union].

I have really found your analysis good. Thanks.