A review by colin_cox
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber
5.0
In a late capitalist epoch, the necessity of a job operates as a contradiction. It seems, now more than ever, jobs are essential, but most jobs are also precarious, poorly compensated, and, it seems, pointless. The pointlessness of many contemporary jobs is what Graber explores in Bullshit Jobs: A Theory. According to Graeber, for a job to have meaning, it must feel as such to the worker themselves. That is to say, if the worker believes their work to lack any meaning and necessity, if it functions in a meaningless and unnecessary way, then, well, it is, in fact, meaningless and unnecessary (i.e., bullshit). For example, Graeber writes, "A bullshit job is a form of paid employment that is so completely pointless, unnecessary, or pernicious that even the employee cannot justify its existence even though, as a part of the conditions of employment, the employee feels obligated to pretend that this is not the case." For clarity, Graeber differentiates between a bullshit job and a "shit job." Shit jobs are deeply exploitative, but unlike bullshit jobs, they are deeply necessary. This distinction matters because so many jobs are shit, yet these jobs are unquestionably necessary.
I like two things about this book. First, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory effectively explores a pervasive, systemic problem native to late capitalism. This book allows readers to understand better why capitalism is troubling, alienating, and exploitative. But second, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory prioritizes workers' feelings. That is to say, jobs, both good and bad, affect workers in a myriad of ways, and to move beyond capitalism, we must, in part, take workers' feelings seriously. We must understand how this economic system, but also the particular contours of this economic system, affect and act upon the worker.
I like two things about this book. First, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory effectively explores a pervasive, systemic problem native to late capitalism. This book allows readers to understand better why capitalism is troubling, alienating, and exploitative. But second, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory prioritizes workers' feelings. That is to say, jobs, both good and bad, affect workers in a myriad of ways, and to move beyond capitalism, we must, in part, take workers' feelings seriously. We must understand how this economic system, but also the particular contours of this economic system, affect and act upon the worker.