The Future of Work


From 11 to 13 December 2019 a conference entitled “Work, Ethics and Freedom” took place at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. Using case studies, social anthropologists, sociologists, and legal scholars explored what is understood as “work” today and what rational, emotional, moral, and even spiritual dimensions work can have in various contexts. This was the first conference of the Max-Cam Centre (Max Planck – Cambridge Centre for Ethics, Economy and Social Change).

Chris Hann, MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle and Wolfgang Streeck, MPI for the Study of Societies, Cologne ■ Conference “Work, Ethics and Freedom” from 11 to 13 December 2019 at the MPI for Social Anthropology ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Wolfgang Streeck, MPI for the Study of Societies, Cologne ■ Title of his keynote lecture: Reflections on the Particular and the Universal: Varieties and commonalities in social life and social science ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Patrice Ladwig, MPI for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen ■ Chair of Session I ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Susan MacDougall, University of Cambridge ■ Title of her talk: Judging Femininity: The ethics of nonworking womanhood ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Patrick McKearney, University of Cambridge ■ Title of his talk: Disabling Work: Intellectual impairment and the ethics of caring labour ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Akanksha Awal, University of Oxford ■ Title of her talk: Emotional Labour as Workplace Freedom? Ethical judgments from north India ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

James Laidlaw, University of Cambridge ■ Discussant in Session I ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Scott MacLochlainn, MPI for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen ■ Chair in Session II ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Gonçalo Santos, University of Hong Kong ■ Title of his talk: Work, Ethics, and Freedom in 21st Century China: Emerging visions of work-life balance ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Jiazhi Fengjiang, London School of Economics and Political Science ■ Title of her talk: Negotiating Work's Worth: Grassroots philanthropy in China ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Peter van der Veer, MPI for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen ■ Discussant in Session II ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Mark Harvey, University of Essex ■ Chair in Session III ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Olivia Angé, Université libre de Bruxelles ■ Title of her talk: Ethics of Work and Freedom in the Salvage Capitalism: Catholic worship and value creation in Jujuy – Argentina ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Samuel Williams, MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle ■ Title of his talk: The Brothers Karaman: Work and Freedom in Kurdish Istanbul ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Miriam Glucksmann, University of Essex ■ Chair in Session IV ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Ivan Rajković, University of Vienna ■ Title of his talk: From Freedom to Loaf to Freedom to Work: The late socialist countermovement and liberalisation from below ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Sylvia Terpe, MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle ■ Title of her talk: Work Ethic, Economic Ethic – or Freedom from Both? The case of small business owners in East Germany ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Jennifer Cash, MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle ■ Discussant in Session IV ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Lale Yalçın-Heckmann, MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle ■ Chair in Session V ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Johannes Lenhard, University of Cambridge ■ Title of his talk: Unicorn-Makers Working for Freedom (and Monopolies) ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Ilana Gershon, Indiana University, Bloomington ■ Title of her talk: The Boss and the Contract: Pain points in neoliberal workplaces ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Deborah Jones, MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle ■ Title of her talk: Ghostwriting as a Spiritual Pursuit ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Rachel E. Smith, University of Cambridge ■ Title of her talk: The Value of Free Work: Work as gift and commodity among Ni-Vanuatu seasonal labour migrants ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Anna-Riikka Kauppinen, University of Cambridge ■ Title of her talk: Quality Work: The intimate audits of status and freedom among Accra’s professionals ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Chris Gregory, Australian National University, Canberra ■ Discussant in Session VI ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Magdalena Dąbkowska, Berlin School of Economics and Law ■ Title of her talk: Globalisation 2.0 – Outsourcing White-collar Jobs: Processes and experiences ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Ruth Dukes, University of Glasgow ■ Title of her talk: Labour Constitutions and Occupational Communities: Social norms and legal norms at work ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Ruth Dukes, University of Glasgow, and Wolfgang Streeck, MPI for the Study of Societies, Cologne ■ Discussant in Session VII ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Gerd Spittler, University of Bayreuth, Stephen Gudeman, University of Minnesota, and Chris Hann, MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle ■ Concluding discussion ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Gerd Spittler, University of Bayreuth ■ Concluding discussion ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Stephen Gudeman, University of Minnesota ■ Concluding discussion ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Chris Gregory, Australian National University, Canberra ■ Concluding discussion ■ Photo: Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Participants of the conference “Work, Ethics and Freedom” from 11 to 13 December 2019 at the MPI for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale)
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