Division of labour facts for kids

In ancient history, a division of labour (or specialisation) was when people in a city started doing different jobs instead of everyone just growing food. This usually happened because there was a surplus of food. A food surplus means there was more than enough food for everyone. So, some people didn't need to farm anymore and could focus on other skills.

This idea means that instead of one person trying to do everything, like making shoes, building houses, and growing food, different people focus on just one thing. When someone focuses on one job, they usually become very good at it. This makes things better and often faster for everyone.

Why Specialise?

When people specialise, they become experts at their specific task. Imagine a shoemaker who only makes shoes all day. They will learn all the best ways to make shoes, choose the best materials, and work quickly. If that same person also had to build houses and grow food, they wouldn't be as good at making shoes.

This specialisation leads to several good things:

• Better Quality: People who focus on one job usually do it better.
• More Efficiency: They can often do their job faster because they practice it all the time.
• Innovation: When you spend all your time on one task, you might find new and better ways to do it.

Ancient Ideas on Specialisation

The ancient Greek philosopher Xenophon, who lived around 400 BC, wrote about the division of labour in his book Cryopedia. He noticed that in big cities, different jobs were done much better.

He explained that in small towns, one person might have to make couches, doors, ploughs, and tables, and even build houses. This person would be busy, but it would be hard for them to do all those jobs perfectly.

However, in large cities, many people need specific things. So, one person can make a living just by making shoes. In some very big cities, one person might even just mend shoes, another might cut the leather, and another might sew parts together. Xenophon believed that someone who does a very specialised task will always do it best.

This idea shows that even thousands of years ago, people understood that focusing on one job could lead to better results for everyone.

Images for kids

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  Sir William Petty

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  Fable of the Bees by Bernard Mandeville

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  Facsimile of the first page of du Monceau's introduction to Art de l'Épinglier, with "division de ce travail" highlighted

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  Adam Smith portrait

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  Kant

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  Émile Durkheim

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  Ludwig von Mises

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  Friedrich Hayek portrait

See also

In Spanish: División del trabajo para niños