Harper’s Magazine
The Harper’s Podcast
The Crisis of Work
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The Crisis of Work

It’s more complicated than “take this job and shove it”

In the May issue, Erik Baker and Hari Kunzru debunk the conservative and leftist visions of the “crisis of work.” Rather than automation and quiet quitting, the problem lies with the shared feeling that the American experiment is failing. The all-consuming entrepreneurial drive we’ve been taught will give our lives meaning has revealed itself to be false, as stagnation abounds in all aspects of work: technology hasn’t made us more productive, nor has greater effort made us richer. With an eye toward the historical, Baker and Kunzru consider the true roles that technology, ideology, resources, and finance play in contemporary work culture.

Where Tomorrow Meets Today, by Hari Kunzru

The Age of the Crisis of Work, by Erik Baker

Follow Kunzru on Twitter (@harikunzru) and Instagram (@hari_kunzru)

Follow Baker on Twitter (@erikmbaker)

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Harper’s Magazine
The Harper’s Podcast
Since 1850, Harper’s Magazine has provided its readers with a unique perspective on the issues that drive our national conversation, featuring writing from some of the most promising to most distinguished names in literature–from Barbara Ehrenreich to Rachel Kushner. Listen as Harper's editors and contributing writers take a deep dive into these topics and the craft of long-form narrative journalism.
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