Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought
2020 Future of Work Conference
A Christian Vision of Work
The world is changing, and human work is changing with it. We are in the midst of a "second globalization" where not only goods, services, and communications are global, but also the labor market. Technology continues to change the landscape and understanding of work today.
Adapting the 2020 conference, the Future of Work: Human Dignity in an Era of Globalization and Autonomous Technology, to a virtual gathering in the midst of our recent COVID-19 pandemic only highlights the necessity of exploring the gifts and challenges presented to us as we explore a Christian vision of work and human dignity.
Work is fundamental to the dignity of the person. Work, to use an image, 'anoints' with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God who has worked and still works, who always acts.
Conference Research References
The way we shape business is crucial: business policies and practices can respect and promote human dignity, but they also can be detrimental, not only to the person that works but also to the ones that surround her. The present challenges go across all fields of applied business, governance, and management.
This conference provides two annotated bibliographies that cover critical elements that are changing the way business works, including issues of forced migration, semi-self-employed cloud workers, automation and rethinking labor relationships and business organizations.