Since its inception, the HPR has been a magazine produced entirely by undergraduates. Our writers, designers, and editors are, above all else, students. The process that culminates in the creation of the magazine before you takes place before, after, and (occasionally) during class time. Because of this, it is not immediately clear why we have chosen to write about work; after all, most of us have yet to hold full-time jobs.
But the very fact that we have chosen to write about this topic demonstrates the overwhelming centrality the concept of work possesses in our lives. It largely defines how we interact with the economy, our peers, and sometimes even our friends and families. Even in its absence, work influences the character and timbre of our experiences within our communities. It determines who we are.
The question remains, however, whether this is something to be lauded or lamented. Our work-dependent identities represent the effects of a very specific structuring of society around employment and arguably could be responsible for the increasing economic inequality present in the United States and around the globe. It is only by understanding the fundamental characteristics of work that we are able to confront the question of how it constructs our identities.
Within these pages the HPR presents the diversity of perspectives that characterize the concept of work. Donovan Keene documents his own experiences with the Federal Work-Study program, a crucial component of Harvard and many other college’s financial aid packages. Staying with the theme of the connection between work and education, Hana Connelly describes the ever-present uncertainties of careers in the arts and the role of art school in mitigating these. Melody Guan turns our attention to man’s relationship with machines, tracking the changing nature of the workforce in light of advancements in artificial intelligence. Together, these articles allow us to better understand and question the nature of work, employment, and its politics in today’s world.
Despite being the work of students, the magazine before you represents some of the most thoughtful, nuanced coverage available. In print and on our website, writers from the HPR produce articles that speak directly to those issues that matter most, those questions upon which the fate of societies are decided. We may not be professional journalists, but our work makes democracy possible by building the free and open exchange of ideas that allows scholarship and community to exist. From Harvard’s campus to the frozen lands of the Arctic, the articles we publish foster serious public discussion. They eschew the shrill tone of outrage for sustained argumentation, allowing our readers to engage as equals and creating the necessary conditions for a functioning society. Our staff may not be full-time journalists, but what we write matters.
Image credit: Matt Wiebe/Flickr
Image credit: Matt Wiebe/Flickr
