Work in Modern Age Spain

Abstract

Within the context of the evolution of the historical systems of legal and social organization of work in Spain, and its correlation with the periodification of Universal History (slavery system in the Ancient Age; serfdom system in the Middle Ages; work free in the Contemporary Age), the study analyzes the transition situation between servile work and free work in the Spain of the Modern Age. In this regard, four scenarios are analyzed: work in the rural environment, predominantly servile; union work in the urban environment, free; extra-union work in the urban environment, with poorer working conditions; and women's work, generally in a worse condition. In order to exemplify the dialectic between servile work and free work in the Spain of the Modern Age, the legal nature of the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza is finally analyzed, to conclude their condition of free labor proper to the contract of employment for others, paid and dependent. The conclusion reached in the analysis is that, from the perspective of the organization of work, the Modern Age has supposed the cohabitation between the servile work that comes from the Middle Ages (which was preponderant in the rural one), with the free work that points towards the Contemporary Age (that was preponderant in the cities).