TYPES OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES

INTRODUCTION

       Work is an essential part of human life. Work is done to satisfy human wants. With the expansion of science and technology, human activities have increased substantually. The activities performed by human beings to satisfy their wants are known as human activities. Some activities are undertaken to earn money, while some are taken up to achieve personal satisfaction.

TYPES OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES

      All human beings engage themselves in some activities to satisfy their basic needs For example, a farmer works in a field, a worker works in a factory, a professional (doctor, advocate, chartered accountant) are busy in their professions. Human activities, depending on wants, may broadly be classified into two categories:

1. Economic Activities (Take up to earn money)

2. Non-economic Activities (Take up to get satisfaction)

Economic Activities

        Economic activities refer to those activities which are undertaken to earn money or earn a living For example, a worker working in a factory, a farmer attending to agriculture work, a doctor attending to patients. All there activities are undertaken to earn a living.

       Economic activities are concerned with production of wealth, exchange and consumption of goods and services, which are not available free of cost. 

Non-Economic Activities

      Non-economic activities refer to all those activities which are pursued for social, religious, cultural, psychological or sentimental reasons.

     Non-economic activities) have no economic motive and are performed for self satisfaction. These activities are voluntary in nature and are undertaken at the pleasure of the person pursuing them.



    Basis for Classifying Economic and Non-economic Activities

1.   If the activities are performed to earn money or a living then these are economic activities.

2.   In case the activities are undertaken without the aim of earning money then these are non-economic activities.

     Same activity can be economic as well as non-economic. For example, a doctor attending to a patient is an economic activity because doctor will charge fee for this work but when the same doctor is attending to his ailing daughter, this will become a non-economic activity. Similarly, a house wife preparing food at home is a non-economic activity and same person preparing food at a restaurant is an economic activity because this is done for a monetary gain.

Economic Activities Vs. Non-Economic Activities

Basis	Economic Activities	Non-Economic Activities
1.Objective     2.Expectation     3. Money Measurement     4. Duration       5. End Result     6. Examples	The main objective is to earn money     Expectation is to earn money or profit     These activities are measured in money or money's worth     These are performed regularly during the working life of a person       These activities produce goods and services   Worker working in a factory, doctor attending to patients or advocate attending the court	The main objective is to get some sort of satisfaction   Expectation is to satisfy social, profit psychological, emotional needs.   These activities are not measured in money     These are performed during spare time or leisure, the period is limited     These activities satisfy mental or emotional needs   A teacher teaching his own son, a lady cooking for the family, a doctor doing social service

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