The broad category of “work” commonly denotes the exertion of effort to achieve a purpose. But history and experience tell us that things don’t always work out as planned. The 2017–18 lunchtime talk series of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the Humanities at Princeton aims to reconsider WORK through the multiplicity of concepts it absorbs — as a practice, as a place, and as
an object.

As our political landscape shifts, how are domestic work, industrial work, reproductive work, financial work, forced work, gig work, and make-work changing our conceptualization of work? Where does labor show up outside of its classic instances? Is it possible anymore to distinguish between work and leisure? What is the relationship of work to time? Is all work labor? What is the work of mourning? What does intellectual work have to offer to the “challenges of the day?” What happens when bodies stop working? Are we working too much?

All talks are 12:00–1:20 pm.
Lunch will be provided.
RSVP