Occupation and basic income through the lens of Arendt’s vita activa

Abstract

There is a debate about the meaning and importance of paid work for individuals as well as for society. On the one hand, paid work is considered the only way to secure general welfare. On the other hand, the Jobs Strategy urged by the OECD as the only possible model for achieving welfare is questioned and challenged through the idea of basic income. While basic income is frequently discussed within other disciplines, it is scarcely raised within occupational science, despite its obvious relevance. In this article, the significance of paid work and the possible consequences of introducing basic income are raised. Paid work may have healthy effects, but for many people worldwide dependence on paid work for basic security implies unhealthy, hazardous, and unsecure circumstances. Basic income may have a substantial impact on people's occupational patterns as well as their experiences of occupational meaning. Three underlying rationales for introducing basic income can be traced: i) abolish a bureaucratic payment transfer system and maintain consumption, ii) diminish poverty and enhance a selfdetermined life, and iii) deepen democratization. These three rationales are discussed through the lens of Arendt's vita activa: labor, work and action. Rationales underlying claims for basic income have substantially different underlying ideologies and are therefore important to scrutinize. Rationales mainly building on maintaining consumption imply a risk that people are reduced to homo consumens and denizens. Developing all modalities creates opportunities for occupational justice as well as inclusion and citizenship.

The need for a federal Basic Income feature within any coherent post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan

“…On myös esitetty, että jos etuudensaantiin ei liity ehdollistamista ja kontrollia -eli pakollisia viranomaistapaamisia ja mahdollisia sanktioita -kontrollin stigmatisoivat vaikutukset edunsaajiin voisivat vähentyä ja edunsaajien autonomian tunne voisi vahvistua (esim. Jansson, 2019;myös Calnitsky, 2016). Perustulon on myös ajateltu tuovan mukanaan laajemman työkäsitteen ja perinteiselle ansiotyölle vaihtoehtoisia työkäsitteitä (esimerkiksi vapaaehtoistyön ja läheisten hoivatyön), jotka myös olisivat omiaan 111 lisäämään yksilön vapauden, autonomian ja voimaantumisen tunteita (esim.…”

“…Arendtin ajattelu on kasvavassa määrin inspiroinut myös hyvinvointipolitiikasta ja (työ)hyvinvoinnista kiinnostuneita tutkijoita, mukaan lukien myös joitakin perustulosta kiinnostuneita (Sauer, 2015;Suuronen, 2018;Jansson, 2017Jansson, , 2019. Ruotsalainen Inger Jansson (2019) on vastikään pohtinut Arendtin teorian pohjalta perustulon mahdollisia vaikutuksia työllistymiseen ja työllistymiskokemuksiin (occupation).…”

“…Tällöin perustulon kuvataan mahdollistaneen paremman elin-ja tulotason eikä olleen vain "jokapäiväisen toimeentulon ja peruskulutuksen takaajana" (vrt. Jansson, 2019). Perustulon yhdistyessä palkkatuloihin on haastateltavien ollut mahdollista tyydyttää työttömyyden aikana kasaantuneita perustarpeita, kuten ostaa kunnollisia talvivaatteita tai kodinkoneita, korjauttaa auto ja käydä hammaslääkärissä, elokuvissa, ravintolassa tai kampaajalla.…”

Making sustainability in occupational therapy visible by relating to the Agenda 2030 goals – A case description of a Swedish university

“…Another area is related to work, where research has been conducted regarding employers' perceptions of work ability and the impact of mental health problems (Jansson & Gunnarsson, 2018), as well as on rehabilitation during sick leave due to mental health problems with the purpose of promoting sustainable participation in working life (Jansson, Gunnarsson, Björklund, Brudin, & Perseius, 2015;Jansson, Perseius, Gunnarsson, & Björklund, 2014), which are all related to SDGs 3 and 8. Moreover, paid work has been problematised more generally, related to SDGs 3 and 8, and the potential of basic income to decrease poverty and enhance health has been discussed (Jansson, 2019).…”

A Tribute to Dr Ann Wilcock

“…The social structuring, and imposition, of occupations is also brought into sharp relief by Jansson's (2020) discussion of the OECD endorsed, governmental strategy of getting people into work to achieve population welfare goals. While not denying that paid work can have positive benefits beyond securing an income, reliance on getting people into work to secure their welfare reveals the hegemony of the economic philosophy of increasing consumption to buoy the economy.…”