[LI] “Work” & “jobs” in English; kinds of “work” in Japanese

Three posts to LinkedIn in Jan.-Mar. 2018 concerning distinctions about types of “work” in English and Japanese. This is part of exploring the difference between “work” and “jobs”/”employment” in English, and discovery of a set of terms in Japanese (and German) describing different kinds of (or meanings associated with) “work.”

2 Japanese expressions (posted January 2018)

2 Japanese expressions: “life’s work” 「ライフワーク」& “rice work” 「ライスワーク」. 1st concept familiar in English. But the 2nd? Is “ricework” somewhere btw “job just for money” & “making a living”? Wld an equivalent term facilitate discussing meaning in work & changes in jobs/employment?

(my comment, in response to reply mentioning the German “Brotwissenschaft”)

Thx for this, which I was not aware of. Checked & found also “Brotgelehrter.” These bring to mind more the “pot boiler” moniker given to authors writing popular fiction to make ends meet, than the sense I hear in “rice work” that could apply to anyone, not just in science or the arts.

Four categories of “work” in Japanese & “ikigai,” Don Osborn, LinkedIn, 14 Feb 2018 (posted 16 February 2018)

Updated concerning the genesis of the “ikigai” diagram (thx Marc Winn). Wld also like to learn who coined the 4 “wākus.” https://lnkd.in/eFU5KzN #ikigai #生き甲斐 #ricework #ライスワーク #米仕事 #lifework #ライクワーク #likework #ライフワーク #lightwork #ライトワーク cc @marcwinn

“Difference Between Job and Work,” DifferenceBetween.net, n.d., (posted 7 Mar 2018)

Nothing in this article, as far as it goes, shd be news to English speakers. However, distinction btw “work” & “jobs” worth keeping in mind when discussing issues in the changing economy: “the future of ___,” basic income, &c. (clarity thru specificity)


Other blogs > LinkedIn > LinkedIn articles & posts, 2018 (Jan–Jun)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.