Ipertrofie del lavoro. Qualche appunto su lavoro e riconoscimento

This article contributes to mapping the contemporary Italian semantic field of “work” (lavoro), and focuses on some aspects of indetermination and hypertrophy that characterize this concept. In particular, I discuss the overly high expectations about work (meant as a socially organized activity) that can be detected in current use of the concept in two different contexts. First, on the basis of a number of qualitative interviews, the article takes into account the claims for moral recognition put forward by professionals or workers which are – both habitually and inappropriately – referred to the market. In this regard, I will highlight the relevance of the Marxian category of capital as an inhuman abstract subject. Secondly, the paper provides some remarks on the debate on “lavoro dignitoso”, the Italian expression which translates, and extends, the English phrase “decent work”.