Decoding Work: Insights from Hunter-Gatherers for Well-being

Skills you will build

About this course

In Work: A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots, author Dr. James Suzman challenges modern conceptions about work. He offers a stark comparison of our approach to work with that of the Ju/’hoansi, a hunter-gatherer society in southern Africa. In this course, you’ll first uncover what work is, why we work, and the role of skills development in our success. Then, you’ll examine common misconceptions about competition, scarcity, and hierarchy. Finally, you’ll learn how agriculture, community, and prosperity influence our approach to work.

Course outline

11 topics · 45 min

1. 1 Introduction
2. 2 All Living Organisms Do Work
3. 3 We’re Skilled at Acquiring Skills
4. 4 Not Everything Is a Competition
5. 5 Our Ancestors Worked to Live—But They Did Not Live to Work
6. 6 Our Relationship With Hierarchy Is Complicated
7. 7 We’re Not All Farmers Anymore
8. 8 We Define Ourselves by the Work We Do
9. 9 Work Today Is Doing More Harm Than Good
10. 10 Conclusion
11. 11 Quiz