Today I was reading The Age online on my way into work, when I read an article about the 'precariat', now I know what you are thinking and it is not some sort of sinister organisation that arranges shady international business ventures, although that is what I thought when I first heard the name. The precariat is a new name for the growing group of people in our society who have unstable employment. Those people have previously been known as, casual or contract workers, and work week to week for hours or on short term contracts. Most hospitality workers and many government employees are part of the precariat. I have been a member of the precariat since 2008, although I only learnt this morning that the group that I belong to is called the precariat.
Since we have been given a new label in our society, I wonder, does this come with new superpowers? Or is it just a fancy new name for the group that we form, as part of an overall marketing strategy to give us a higher profile in the media. Maybe now that we have this new name, we can form some sort of organisation that can arrange some shady international business deals? I mean the name suggests as much, maybe that can be our new super power. I am concerned however, that if we do get a new super power as being part of the precariat, it will be similar to my existing super power, which is the ability to not yawn when I see other's yawn. 'Yawn Aversion Man' is the brand I was given by my friend, but unfortunately my super power is all but useless, and often ineffective. Hopefully the precariat branding will not suffer the same fate.
To read the original article, check out The Age online.
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