Battle of Ideas festival speaker Joanna Williams on four important trends that make work unattractive, hurt the economy and undermine the importance of solidarity, socialisation and citizenship.
My mother who is now 100 started work at the age of 14 as a runner in the Cardiff docks. Finished school on the Friday and started work on Monday. She has never felt bitter about it or hard done by. In fact she enjoyed working. She didn't feel that it was a duty or that she had to do it because of the economy, it was just what you did and not to rely on other people or the state. She had 3 sisters who all did the same. My wife's family was the same.
My mother who is now 100 started work at the age of 14 as a runner in the Cardiff docks. Finished school on the Friday and started work on Monday. She has never felt bitter about it or hard done by. In fact she enjoyed working. She didn't feel that it was a duty or that she had to do it because of the economy, it was just what you did and not to rely on other people or the state. She had 3 sisters who all did the same. My wife's family was the same.
I should say, I'm not proposing that we push all children into work when they reach 14. I'm rather trying to illustrate a difference in attitude.