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The Need for Change in Baby Boomers’ Perception of Work: A Holistic Understanding of Homo Laborans and Homo Ludens

이상훈 1

1호남신학대학교

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ABSTRACT

This study aims to bring a desirable change in Korean baby boomers' perception of work by critically adopting the concept of homo ludens and attempting a holistic understanding of homo laborans and homo ludens. Many baby boomers are financially not prepared for retirement mainly because they have been preoccupied with supporting both their parents and their children sometimes for longer than expected. Though in need of urgent reemployment, they should not let themselves fall into the category of what is defined as animal laborans. Baby boomers’ reemployment without a fundamental change in perception of and thus attitude toward work only deemed to gain means of subsistence are often compelled to engage in dehumanizing labor as no more than soulless movement. This being the case, it is required that the concept of homo ludens or man the player should be properly understood and widely practiced and as a result perception of work/vocation can be fundamentally reformulated. Doing so will be instrumental in integrating homo ludens into homo laborans, which helps to create a holistic view of work/vocation. Here homo ludens refers to a vocational pursuit of what one enjoys and takes pleasure in doing. It also means finding a meaning of life as well as self-realization and economic reward in carrying out work/vocation. In other words, work/vocation can be regarded not only as a means of securing the basic necessities -- food, shelter and clothing -- of life, but also as self-realization including happiness and re-creation. Therefore this study seeks to come up with theoretical and practical measures to establish a holistic understanding about work/vocation.

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* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.
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