During the whole working life. Basic concepts of labor. The concept of labor activity

20.09.2019

Work- this is an activity aimed at human development and the transformation of natural resources into material, intellectual and spiritual benefits. Such activities can be carried out either by coercion, or by internal motivation, or both.

Sociological functions of labor:

Socio-economic function consists in the impact of subjects of labor (workers) on objects and elements natural environment(resources) in order to transform them into objects to meet the needs of members of society, that is, into material goods and services.

productive function is to satisfy people's need for creativity and self-expression. Thanks to this function of labor, new objects and technologies are created.

social structuring function labor is to differentiate and integrate the efforts of people involved in the labor process. On the one hand, assigning various functions to different categories of participants in the labor process leads to differentiation and the creation of specialized types of labor. On the other hand, sharing results labor activity leads to the establishment of certain links between different categories of participants in the labor process. Thus, this function of labor contributes to the creation of socio-economic ties between different groups of people.

social control function labor is due to the fact that labor organizes a complex system social relations, regulated by means of values, norms of behavior, standards, sanctions, etc., which are a system of social control of labor relations. It includes labor law, economic and technical standards, charters of organizations, job descriptions, informal norms, a certain organizational culture.

socializing function labor is connected with the fact that labor activity expands and enriches the composition social roles, patterns of behavior, norms and values of employees, which allows people to feel full participants public life. This function gives people the opportunity to acquire a certain status, to feel social belonging and identity.

Social development function labor is manifested in the impact of the content of labor on workers, teams and society as a whole. This is due to the fact that as the means of labor develop and improve, the content of labor becomes more complex and updated. This process is due to the creative nature of man. Thus, there is an increase in the requirements for the level of knowledge and qualifications of employees in almost all industries. modern economy. The function of employee training is one of the priority functions of personnel management in a modern organization.

Social stratification function labor is a derivative of social structuring and is related to the fact that the results various kinds labor differently rewarded and valued by society. Accordingly, some types of labor activity are recognized as more, while others are less important and prestigious. Thus, labor activity contributes to the formation and maintenance of the dominant system of values in society and performs the function of ranking participants in labor activity according to ranks - the steps of the stratification pyramid and the ladder of prestige.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that labor activity determines a number of interrelated social and economic phenomena and processes in modern society. The study allows you to identify the most effective ways to manage the organization.

The main categories of labor science

complexity of work;
professional suitability of the employee;
the degree of autonomy of the worker.

The first sign of the content of labor is complexity. It is clear that the work of a scientist is more difficult than the work of a turner, and the work of a store manager is the work of a cashier. But in order to justify the measure of payment for various types of labor, their comparison is required. To compare complex and simple labor, the concept of "reduction of labor" is used. Labor reduction- this is the process of reducing complex labor to simple labor in order to determine the measure of remuneration for labor of varying complexity. With the development of society, the proportion of complex labor increases, which is explained by the increase in the level of technical equipment of enterprises and the requirements for the education of employees.

Differences between complex work and simple work:

performance by the employee of such mental labor functions as planning, analysis, control and coordination of actions;
concentration of active thinking and purposeful concentration of the worker;
consistency in making decisions and actions;
accuracy and adequate response of the worker's body to external stimuli;
fast, dexterous and diverse labor movements;
responsibility for performance.

The second sign of the content of labor is professional suitability. Its influence on the results of labor is due to the abilities of a person, the formation and development of his genetic inclinations, a successful choice of profession, conditions for the development and selection of personnel. play an important role in professional selection special methods determination of professional suitability.

The third sign of the content of labor is degree of employee independence- depends both on external restrictions associated with the form of ownership, and internal, dictated by the scale and level of complexity of the work. Reducing restrictions on decision making while increasing the measure of responsibility means greater freedom of action, creativity and the possibility of an informal approach to solving problems. The independence of an employee is a criterion for the level of self-awareness of a developed personality, its measure of responsibility for the results of work.

The nature of labor as a category of labor science represents the relationship between the participants in the labor process, which affect both the employee's attitude to work and labor productivity. From the point of view of the nature of labor, on the one hand, the work of an entrepreneur is distinguished, and, on the other hand, wage labor, collective or individual. Entrepreneur's labor is characterized by a high degree of independence in decision-making and its implementation, as well as a high degree of responsibility for the results. hired labor- this is the work of an employee called upon, under the terms of an agreement, to perform official duties in relation to the employer.

Modern labor science

Modern labor science includes a number of basic disciplines:

traditionally includes problems of labor productivity and efficiency, labor resources, labor market and employment, income and wages, headcount planning, problems of labor rationing.
Personnel economics examines the behavior of employees when they perform official duties. The discipline studies influence various factors on labor productivity.
Occupational medicine- examines work-related factors that may cause injury, illness or other harm to the health of the worker.
Physiology of labor explores functions human body in the process of labor: the physiology of the motor apparatus, the development and training of labor skills, performance and its regulation, sanitary and hygienic working conditions, the severity of labor.
Labor psychology explores the requirements for the human psyche associated with his attitude to work.
Personnel Management studies the problems of headcount planning, selection, training and certification of personnel, labor motivation, management styles, relationships in labor collectives, management procedures.
Sociology of labor studies the impact of workers on society and vice versa - society on the worker.
Labor Pedagogy how science considers the issues of employee training.
Ergonomics studies the organization of the process of adapting the means of labor to the characteristics, possibilities and limits of the human body.
labor management studies the basics of designing the labor processes of workplaces. Issues such as identifying the need for personnel, recruiting and selecting personnel, engaging employees, releasing them, developing, controlling personnel, i.e. management, coordination and communication structuring of work, remuneration policy, participation in success, personnel cost management and employee management.
Safety explores a set of problems related to ensuring safe labor activity.
labor law analyzes the complex of legal aspects of labor and management. This is especially important in hiring and firing, developing systems of rewards and punishments, solving property problems, and managing social conflicts.

Fundamentals of modern labor economics

labor economics– studies economic patterns in the field of labor relations, including specific forms manifestations of the essence of work, such as organization, pay, efficiency and employment.

object study labor economics labor is a purposeful human activity aimed at creating material wealth and providing services.

The subject of labor economics- socio-economic relations that develop in the labor process under the influence of various factors - technical, organizational, personnel and other.

aim labor economics are studies in the field of human resource management.

home task labor economics - the study of the essence and mechanisms of economic processes in the sphere of labor in the context of human life and society.

Ways to improve the efficiency of labor activity

One of the most important elements of increasing the efficiency of human labor activity is the improvement of skills and abilities as a result of labor training. From a psychophysical point of view, industrial training is a process of adaptation and a corresponding change in the physiological functions of the human body for the most effective performance of a particular job. As a result of training, muscle strength and endurance increase, the accuracy and speed of working movements increase, and they recover faster. physiological functions after finishing work.

Rational organization of the workplace

Rational organization (ensuring a comfortable posture and freedom of labor movements, the use of equipment that meets the requirements of ergonomics and engineering psychology) provides the most effective, reduces fatigue and prevents the danger of occupational diseases. Besides, workplace must meet the following requirements: sufficient working space; sufficient physical, auditory and visual connections between man and machine; optimal placement of the workplace in space; permissible level of harmful production factors; availability of means of protection against hazardous production factors.

Comfortable working posture

A comfortable working posture of a person in the process of labor activity ensures high working capacity and labor productivity. A comfortable working posture should be considered one in which the worker does not need to lean forward more than 10-15 degrees; tilting back and to the sides is undesirable; The main requirement for a working posture is a straight posture.

The formation of a working posture in the “sitting” position is affected by the height of the working surface, which is determined by the distance from the floor to the horizontal surface on which the labor process is performed. The height of the working surface is set depending on the nature, severity and accuracy of the work. A comfortable working posture when working “sitting” is also provided by the design of the chair (size, shape, area and inclination of the seat, height adjustment).

High working capacity and vital activity of the body are supported by a rational alternation of periods of work and rest.

Rational mode of work and rest

Rational mode of work and rest- this is such a ratio and content of periods of work and rest, in which high labor productivity is combined with high and stable human performance without signs of excessive fatigue for a long time. Such an alternation of periods of work and rest is observed at various periods of time: during a work shift, day, week, year in accordance with the operating mode of the enterprise.

The duration of rest during the shift (regulated breaks) depends mainly on the severity of the work and the conditions for its implementation. When determining the duration of rest during working hours, the following production factors must be taken into account, tiring: physical effort, nervous tension, pace of work, working position, monotony of work, microclimate, air pollution, aeroionic composition of air, industrial noise, vibration, lighting. Depending on the strength of the influence of each of these factors on the human body, the time for rest is set.

The intra-shift regime of work and rest should include a lunch break and short breaks for rest, which should be regulated, since it is more effective than breaks that occur irregularly, at the discretion of the employee.

Short rest breaks are designed to reduce the fatigue that develops in the process of work.. The number and duration of short-term breaks are determined based on the nature of the labor process, the degree of intensity and severity of labor. The points of decrease in working capacity serve as a guideline for establishing the beginning of breaks for rest. To prevent its decline, a break for rest is appointed before the onset of fatigue of the body. In the second half of the working day, due to deeper fatigue, the number of rest breaks should be greater than in the first half of the shift. Physiologists have found that for most types of work, the optimal duration of a break is 5-10 minutes.. It is this break that allows you to restore physiological functions, reduce fatigue and maintain a working setting. With deep fatigue, it is necessary to go both along the line of increasing the number of breaks and increasing their duration. But short-term breaks lasting more than 20 minutes disrupt the already established state of working out.

Rest can be active or passive.. Leisure recommended for work taking place in adverse conditions labor. Most effective form active recreation - industrial gymnastics. Active rest accelerates the recovery of forces, since when changing activities, the energy expended by the working body is restored faster. As a result of industrial gymnastics, the vital capacity of the lungs increases, activity improves. of cardio-vascular system increase muscle strength and endurance.

Ministry of Education of Russia

Far Eastern State Technical University

Institute of economics and management

abstract

Topic: Labor and labor activity of people. labor economics

Done: student

group U-220

Shatina Love

Checked by: senior

department teacher

economic theory

Chipovskaya I. S.

Vladivostok, 2002

Introduction…………………………………………………………………….……3

1. Basic concepts of labor.………………………..…………………...4

2. Types and boundaries of the division of labor ...…………………………………... 6

3. Working conditions………………………………………………………………9

4. The subject of labor economics……………………………………………...12

5. Connection of labor economics with other sciences…………………………..16

4. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………20

5. References……………………………………………………...21

Introduction

Labor is the process of transforming natural resources into material, intellectual and spiritual goods, carried out and (or) controlled by a person, either under compulsion (administrative, economic), or by internal motivation, or both.

The labor activity of people presupposes their organization. Under the organization of labor - the establishment of links and relations between participants in production, ensuring the achievement of its goals on the basis of the most efficient use of collective labor.

Labor economics as a science studies patterns public organization labor in connection with its technical organization and the manifestation of economic laws in the field of social organization of labor.

1. Basic concepts about labor

Labor plays a huge role in the development of human society and man. According to F. Engels, labor created man himself. The exceptional and many-sided significance of labor is enduring: it is addressed not only to the distant past of mankind, its true nature and the role is revealed with particular force under socialism with the emancipation of labor from exploitation and will manifest itself to an even greater extent under communism, when labor becomes the first vital need of every person.

Labor is a purposeful activity of a person to create material and spiritual benefits necessary for his life. Nature provides the source material for this, which in the process of labor turns into a good suitable for meeting people's needs. For such a transformation of the substances of nature, a person creates and uses tools of labor, determines the mode of their action.

Concrete labor activity expresses people's attitude to nature, the degree of their dominance over the forces of nature. It is necessary to distinguish between labor as a creator of material goods and public form labor.

In the process of production, people necessarily enter into certain relations not only with nature, but also with each other. Relationships between people that develop about their participation in social labor, and represent a social form of labor.

The expedient planned labor activity of people presupposes their organization. Under the organization of labor in general view understand the establishment of rational connections and relations between the participants in production, ensuring the achievement of its goals on the basis of the most effective use of collective labor. Moreover, those connections and relations that develop between the participants in production under the influence of technology and technology express themselves the technical side of labor organization. Labor is organized and divided differently, depending on what tools it has at its disposal.

Those connections and relations of participants in production, which are due to joint participation and social labor, express the social side of the organization of labor. The relations between people in the process of labor or the social structure of labor are determined by the prevailing relations of production.

The social form of labor organization does not exist outside the relationship of man to nature, outside certain technical conditions of work. At the same time, the technical organization of labor is also under the decisive influence of social conditions.

The technical organization of labor and its social form in reality are closely connected and interdependent and represent separate aspects of a single whole. Only in a theoretical analysis can they be singled out and considered separately, taking into account some specifics of their independent development.

2. Types and boundaries of the division of labor

Economic systems are based on the division of labor, that is, on the relative differentiation of activities. In one form or another, the division of labor exists at all levels: from the global economy to the workplace. The differentiation of types of activity in the country's economy is carried out by groups of industries: agriculture and forestry, mining, construction, manufacturing, transport, communications, trade, etc. Further differentiation occurs in individual sectors and sub-sectors. So, in the manufacturing industry, mechanical engineering stands out, which, in turn, is structured according to the types of manufactured machines, instruments and apparatus. Modern enterprises can be both diversified, i.e. produce wide range products, and specialized in individual products or services. Large enterprises have complex structure, characterized by the division of labor between production units and groups of personnel.

According to the functions performed, four main groups of personnel are usually distinguished: managers, specialists (engineers, economists, lawyers, etc.), workers and students.

The main types of division of labor in the enterprise are : functional, technological, and subject .

Technological division of labor due to the allocation of stages of the production process and types of work. In accordance with the characteristics of the technology, workshops and sections of the enterprise (foundry, stamping, welding, etc.) can be created.

Substantive division of labor involves the specialization of production units and employees in the manufacture of certain types of products (products, assemblies, parts).

Based on the functional, technological and substantive division of labor, professions and skill levels are formed.

Profession characterized by the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out a certain kind works. The composition of professions is determined by the objects of production and technology. As a result of technological progress, there is a constant change in the list and structure of professions. Over the last 20-30 years greatest influence The professional structure of the staff was affected by the use of computer technology and new physical and chemical processing methods.

Qualification division of labor determined by the difference in the complexity of the work. This, in turn, determines the different terms for training personnel to perform the relevant functions. The complexity of the work performed is the most important factor in the differentiation of wages. To quantify the qualifications of personnel, the categories of a single tariff scale are usually used, which includes various countries 17-25 bits.

Professions and qualification groups can be considered as types of division of labor (professional and qualification).

The choice of forms of division of labor is determined primarily by the type of production. The closer production is to mass production, the more opportunities for specialization of equipment and personnel to perform certain types works. When choosing the most effective level of differentiation of the production process should be taken into account technical, psychological, social and economic boundaries of the division of labor .

Technical boundaries due to the capabilities of equipment, tools, fixtures, requirements for consumer product quality.

Psychological boundaries determined by the capabilities of the human body, the requirements of maintaining health and performance. The need to take into account psychophysiological boundaries is due to the fact that high degree specialization causes the monotony of labor, which leads to adverse consequences for workers. As a result of the research, it was found that the duration of repeatedly repeating elements of work should not be less than 45 s; the work must be designed in such a way as to ensure the participation of at least five to six human muscle groups.

social boundaries due to the requirements for the content of labor, its necessary diversity, development opportunities professional knowledge and skills.

Economic boundaries characterize the impact of the division of labor on the economic results of production, in particular, on the total costs of labor and material resources.

The division of labor presupposes cooperation. It is carried out at all levels: from the workplace, where several workers can work, to the economy of the country and the world economy as a whole. At the enterprise, the most significant problems of labor cooperation are associated with the organization brigades .

In relation to the mode of operation of the brigades can be mixed and through (daily) .

Depending on the professional qualification composition, there are specialized and complex brigades. In the first case, workers of the same profession (turners, locksmiths, etc.) are united; in the second - different professions and skill levels. Integrated teams provide more opportunities for the development of each employee. As a rule, this type of brigades also provides the best economic performance.

3. Working conditions

Working conditions are the characteristics of the production process and the production environment that affect the employee of the enterprise.

Activity is certain actions, which are committed by a person in order to produce something significant for himself, or for the people around him. This is a meaningful, multi-component and quite serious occupation, which is fundamentally different from recreation and entertainment.

Definition

The main discipline, which training course studies human activity, - social science. The first thing you need to know in order to correctly answer a question on this topic is the basic definition of the concept under study. However, there may be several such definitions. Another one says that activity is such a form of human activity, which is aimed not only at adapting the body to the environment, but also at its qualitative transformation.

All living beings interact with the environment. However, animals are only capable of adapting to the world and its conditions; they cannot change it in any way. But man differs from animals in that he has a special form of interaction with the environment, which is called activity.

Main Components

Also, for a good answer to a question in social science about human activity, you need to know about the concepts of object and subject. The subject is the one who performs the action. It doesn't have to be a single person. The subject can also be a group of people, an organization or a country. The object of activity in social science is that on which the activity is specifically directed. It could be another person, Natural resources, and any spheres of public life. The presence of a goal is one of the main conditions under which human activity is possible. Social science, in addition to the goal, also highlights the action component. It is carried out in accordance with the goal.

Action types

The expediency of activity is an indicator of whether a person is moving towards the result that is important to him. The goal is the image of this result, to which the subject of activity strives, and the action is a direct step aimed at realizing the goal facing the person. The German scientist M. Weber identified several types of actions:

Purposeful (in other words - rational). This action is carried out by a person in accordance with the goal. Means to achieve the desired result are chosen consciously, possible side effects of activity are taken into account.
Value-rational. Actions of this kind occur in accordance with the beliefs that a person has.
affective is an action that is caused by emotional experiences.
Traditional- based on habit or tradition.

Other Activity Components

Describing human activity, social science also highlights the concepts of the result, as well as the means to achieve the goal. The result is understood as the final product of the entire process carried out by the subject. Moreover, it can be of two types: positive and negative. Belonging to the first or second category is determined by the correspondence of the result to the goal.

The reasons why a person can get a negative result can be both external and internal. External include changes in environmental conditions in the worst side. Internal factors include such factors as setting an initially unattainable goal, the wrong choice of means, the inferiority of actions, or the lack of the necessary skills or knowledge.

Communication

One of the main types of human activity in social science is communication. The purpose of any kind of communication is to get some result. Here main goal is often an exchange the right information, emotions or ideas. Communication is one of the basic qualities of a person, as well as an indispensable condition for socialization. Without communication, a person becomes asocial.

A game

Another type of human activity in social science is a game. It is common to both humans and animals. Situations are modeled in children's play adult life. The main unit of children's play is the role - one of the main conditions for the development of consciousness and behavior of children. Play is a type of activity in which social experience is recreated and assimilated. It allows you to learn the methods of carrying out social actions, as well as master the objects of human culture. Play therapy has found wide distribution as a form of correctional work.

Work

It is also an important type of human activity. Without labor, socialization does not occur, but it is important not only for the development of the individual. Labor is a necessary condition for the survival and further progress of human civilization. At the level of a single individual, work is an opportunity to ensure one's own existence, to feed oneself and one's loved ones, as well as an opportunity to realize one's natural inclinations and abilities.

Education

This is another important type of human activity. The topic of social science devoted to activity is interesting because it considers its various types, allows you to consider the whole variety of types of human activity. Despite the fact that the process of human learning originates in the womb, over a certain period of time this type of activity becomes purposeful.

For example, in the 50s of the last century, children began to be taught at the age of 7-8 years; in the 90s, mass education was introduced in schools from the age of six. However, even before the start of purposeful learning, the child absorbs a huge amount of information from the outside world. The great Russian writer L. N. Tolstoy emphasized that under the age of 5 years small man learns much more than in the rest of his life. Of course, one can argue with this statement, but there is a fair amount of truth in it.

The main difference from other types of activity

Often, schoolchildren receive a social science question as their homework: "Activity is a way of people's existence." In the process of preparing for such a lesson, the most important thing to note is that characteristic difference human activity from the usual adaptation to the environment, which is characteristic of animals. One of these types of activity, which is aimed directly at transforming the world around us, is creativity. This type of occupation allows a person to create something completely new, qualitatively transforming the surrounding reality.

Activity types

The time when students go through the social science topic "Man and Activity", according to the Federal State Educational Standard - grade 6. At this age, students are usually old enough to distinguish between activities, as well as to understand their importance for comprehensive development person. In science, the following types are distinguished:

Practical- aimed directly at the transformation external environment. This type, in turn, is subdivided into additional subcategories - material and production activities, as well as socially transformative ones.
Spiritual- an activity that is aimed at changing the consciousness of a person. This type is also subdivided into additional categories: cognitive (science and art); value-oriented (determining the negative or positive attitude of people to various phenomena of the surrounding world); as well as predictive (planning possible changes) activity.

All these types are closely related to each other. For example, before carrying out reforms (relate to it is necessary to analyze them possible consequences for the country (prognostic activity.

Labor has been and remains the most important human activity. Activity is the internal (mental) and external (physical) activity of a person, determined by a specific goal. Labor is the activity of creating certain socially useful material and spiritual goods and services.

Labor activity is the leading, main human activity. The labor activity of people is carried out on the basis of internal motives. Distinguish between working and non-working activities. The main criteria that distinguish labor activity from non-labor activity are:

─ connection with the creation of goods, i.e. the creation and growth of material, spiritual, household goods. Activities that are not related to creation are not labor;

─ purposefulness of activity. Aimless activity cannot be labor activity, since it does not bring positive results;

─ legitimacy of activity. Only non-prohibited activity belongs to labor, and prohibited, criminal activity cannot be labor, since it illegally appropriates the results of someone else's labor, but does not itself create a useful result;

─ Demand for activity. If a person spent time and effort on the manufacture of a product that turned out to be useless or harmful to anyone, then such an activity cannot be considered labor either.

Thus, from an economic point of view, labor is a process of conscious, purposeful activity of people, with the help of which they modify the substance and forces of nature, adapting them to meet needs.

The objectives of the labor activities may be the production of consumer goods and services or the means necessary for their production. The goals may be the production of energy, media, ideological products, as well as the operation of managerial and organizational technologies. The goals of labor activity are given to a person by society, therefore, by its nature, it is social: the needs of society form, determine, direct and regulate it. Thus, in the process of labor activity, goods and services are produced, cultural values are created that require their subsequent satisfaction.

Labor activity man is a species of him social behavior. Labor activity is a rational series of operations and functions, rigidly fixed in time and space, performed by people united in labor organizations. The labor activity of employees provides a solution to a number of tasks:

1) the creation of material goods as a means of existence for a person and society as a whole;

2) provision of services for various purposes;

3) development scientific ideas, values and their applied analogues;

4) accumulation and transmission of information from generation to generation;

5) the development of a person as an employee and as a person, etc.

Labor activity - regardless of the method, means and results, is characterized by a number of common properties:

1) a certain functional and technological set of labor operations;

2) a set of relevant qualities of labor subjects, recorded in professional, qualification and job descriptions;

3) material and technical conditions and spatial and temporal framework of implementation;

4) a certain way of organizational, technological and economic connection of labor subjects with the means and conditions for their implementation;

5) a normative-algorithmic method of organization, through which a behavioral matrix of individuals included in the production process (organizational and managerial structure) is formed.

Each type of labor activity can be divided into two main characteristics: psychophysiological content (the work of the sense organs, muscles, thought processes, etc.); and the conditions under which work is carried out. The structure and level of physical and nervous loads in the process of labor activity are determined by these two characteristics: physical - depend on the level of labor automation, its pace and rhythm, the design and rationality of the placement of equipment, tools, equipment; nervous - due to the volume of processed information, the presence of industrial danger, the degree of responsibility and risk, the monotony of work, relationships in the team.

material production

The labor activity of people material production process- is one of the forms human activity, aimed at transforming natural world and the creation of wealth. This is a necessary condition for the life of society, since without food, clothing, housing, electricity, medicines and a wide variety of items, the right people society cannot exist. A variety of services are just as necessary for human life, so it is impossible to imagine life, for example, without transport or household services. Bogolyubov, L.N. Man and society. Social science. Proc. for students. 10 cells / Ed. L.N. Bogolyubova, A.Yu. Lazebnikova. - M.: Enlightenment, 2002. - P.186.

When they say "material production" then they mean that there exists and non-material (spiritual) production. In the first case, this production of things, for example, televisions, appliances or paper are produced. In the second, this production of ideas(more precisely, spiritual values). - actors, directors created a TV show, a writer wrote a book, a scientist discovered something new in the world around him. The difference between them is in created product.

The result of material production - a variety of items and services. But this does not mean that human consciousness does not participate in material production. Any activity of people is carried out consciously. Both the hands and the head are involved in the process of material production. In modern production, the role of knowledge and qualifications is increasing significantly.

AT ready-made nature gives us only very little, without labor it is impossible to collect even wild-growing fruits and berries; without significant efforts it is impossible to take coal, oil, gas, wood from nature. In most cases, natural materials are subject to complex processing. Thus, production appears as a process of active transformation of nature by people (natural materials) in order to create the necessary material conditions for its existence. Ibid.- P.186.

For the production of any thing, three elements are necessary: an object of nature from which this thing can be made; means of labor with which this production is carried out; purposeful human activity, his work. Hence, material production there is the process of labor activity of people, as a result of which material goods are created, aimed at satisfying human needs.

Labor as a type of human activity

The needs and interests of people are the basis that predetermines the purpose of labor activity. Aimless pursuits of anything have no meaning. Such work is shown in the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus. The gods doomed him to hard work - to roll a large stone up the mountain. As soon as the end of the path was close, the stone broke off and rolled down. And so again and again. Sisyphean labor is a symbol of meaningless work.

Work in the proper sense of the word occurs when human activity becomes meaningful when a consciously set goal is realized in it. The meaning of labor is in achieving certain results, in creation material and spiritual wealth.

To material wealth include food, clothing, housing, transport, equipment, services, etc. For spiritual blessings include the achievements of science, art, ideology, etc.

Labor is the main form of life of society and in this way, labor activity differs from educational activity, aimed at acquiring knowledge and mastering skills, and gaming activity, in which it is not so much the result that is important, but the process of the game itself. Performing labor functions, people interact, enter into relationships with each other, and it is labor that is the primary category that contains all the variety of specific social phenomena and relationships. Social work changes the situation various groups workers, their social qualities, which manifests the essence of labor as a basic social process. Most complete social entity labor is disclosed in the categories of "nature of labor" and "content of labor" (Appendix 1).

In the process of labor activity, constantly straining his physical and spiritual forces, overcoming the resistance of the forces of nature, solving more and more complex goals, the person himself is constantly developing. Thus, labor not only created man, but also constantly develops and improves him, i.e. Man is the subject and product of his labor activity.

Work activity is characterized by:

The use and manufacture of tools, their preservation for later use; purposefulness of labor processes.

The subordination of labor to the idea of the product of labor - the labor goal, which, like a law, determines the nature and method of labor actions.

The social nature of labor, its implementation in the conditions of joint activity.

The focus of labor on the transformation of the external world. The manufacture, use and preservation of labor tools, the division of labor contributed to the development of abstract thinking, speech, language, and the development of socio-historical relations between people.

Productive nature of labor activity; labor, carrying out the process of production, is imprinted in its product, i.e. there is a process of embodiment, objectification in the products of people's activity of their spiritual forces and abilities. Thus, the material, spiritual culture of mankind is an objective form of embodiment of the achievements of the mental development of mankind.

To achieve the goal in labor activity, various means are used: technical devices required for production; energy and transport lines; other material objects, without which the labor process is impossible. All of them together make means of labor. During the production process, the impact on object of labor, i.e. on the materials being converted. For this, apply various ways, which are called technologies. For example, you can remove excess metal from a workpiece using metal-cutting equipment, but the use of an electric pulse method allows you to achieve a similar result 10 times faster. This means that labor productivity will increase 10 times. It is determined by the amount of time spent per unit of output.

So, in the structure of labor activity, elements are distinguished (Fig. 3): Ibid. - P.18.

1) consciously set goals - the production of certain products, the processing of natural materials, the creation of machines and mechanisms, etc.;

2) objects of labor - those materials (metal, clay, stone, plastic, etc.), the transformation of which is aimed at the activity of people;

3) means and tools of labor - all devices, devices, mechanisms, adaptations, energy systems, with the help of which objects of labor are subjected to transformation;

4) technologies used - techniques and methods used in the production process.

Figure 3 - The structure of labor activity

To characterize labor activity, the following parameters are used: Klimenko A.V. Social science: Proc. allowance for schoolchildren Art. class and entering universities”: / A.V. Klimenko, V.V. Rumynina. - M.: Bustard; 2004. - P.20.

1) labor productivity - the amount of products produced per unit of time;

2) labor efficiency -- the ratio of material and labor costs, on the one hand, and the results obtained, on the other;

3) the level of division of labor - the distribution of specific production functions between the participants in the labor process (on the scale of society and in specific labor processes).

In each specific type of labor activity, labor operations are performed, which are divided into labor techniques, actions and movements. Depending on the characteristics of a particular type of labor, due to the subject of labor, means of labor, the totality of operations performed by the employee, their correlation and interconnection, on the distribution of functions (executive, registration and control, observation and adjustment) in the workplace, we can talk about content of individual work. It includes the degree of diversity of labor functions, monotony, predetermination of actions, independence, the level of technical equipment, the ratio of performing and managerial functions, level of creative possibilities, etc. A change in the composition of labor functions and the time spent on their implementation means a change in the content of labor.

Figure 4 - Content of individual labor

Depending on the role of the worker in manufacturing process functions should be distinguished: Dikareva A.A. Sociology of labor / A.A. Dikareva, M.I. Mirskaya. - M.: graduate School, 1989. - P.110.

1) energy when the worker sets in motion the means of labor;

2) technological - observation and control over the movement of the subject and means of labor with the adjustment and regulation of equipment;

3)managerial associated with the preparation of production and management of performers

The main factor causing the change in labor functions is scientific and technical progress.

The role of labor in the development of society

The role of labor in the development of man and society is manifested in the fact that in the process of labor not only material and spiritual values \u200b\u200bare created to meet the needs of people, but also the workers themselves develop, acquire new skills, reveal their abilities, replenish and enrich knowledge. The creative nature of labor finds its expression in the birth of new ideas, the emergence of progressive technologies, more advanced and highly productive tools, new types of products, materials, energy, which, in turn, lead to the development of needs.

Thus, the consequence of labor activity is, on the one hand, the saturation of the market with goods, services, cultural values, on the other hand, the progress of production, the emergence of new needs and their subsequent satisfaction.

The development and improvement of production has a beneficial effect on the reproduction of the population, raising its material and cultural level. This is the ideal scheme of the impact of labor on a person and society, which is presented in Fig. 5.

Figure 5 - Schematic role of labor in the development of man and society

However, these processes are strongly influenced by politics, interstate and interethnic relations. But, nevertheless, the general trend in the development of human society is directed towards the progress of production, the growth of material well-being and the cultural level of people, the awareness of human rights as highest value on the ground.

What should be an employee corresponding to the character modern production? This question will be considered in the next chapter.