Labour

The main focus of our lecture today was on labour. I found this lecture to be very useful as a lot of it related to my activity of cooking. Cooking is found under the heading of labour instead of work or play because the end result is for eating which is a necessity in life. It took me while to comprehend this as i considered cooking to be play as i enjoy it so much and use it as a way to be creative and to express myself. However, at the end of the day it is crucial for survival and i can see this more obviously on my off days when i am tired and unmotivated and would prefer others to cook for me. Green (1968), describes the relationship between labour and food as "the gathering of nourishment, however, is not only necessary; it is also endless. Once done, it must be done again. Answering as it does to the requirements of life itself, it can end only with the end of life. The purpose of this activity  is to provide for the seeds of consumption: food is taken from the earth, after all, in order to be consumed". Although this quote is decades old, i believe it is still very relevant today. When i am not in Dunedin i live on a farm and have an understanding of how much labour is involved with the production of foods including, fruit, vegetables, grains, milk and meats. It is very time consuming and is both mentally and physically challenging. However, this has caused both my family and myself to be more appreciative of food and the process of cooking. My up bringing has taught me to enjoy labour, especially cooking, as it is an important part of my life, not just for survival.

Green, T. F. (1968). Work, leisure and the American schools. New York: Random House.