My wife and I were having a discussion in which the topic of how naturally we both accept the concept of the 8-hour workday/shift work in general came up. I'm curious to know how this understanding has changed through time.
For specifics: How much difficulty would a peasant/farmer or a skilled worker in the 14th century have understanding our modern norm of discretely scheduled labor periods 5 days/week 8 hours/day with scheduled breaks? If there is a time period that you think would stand out, I'd love to know about it.
There was one technology that really changed how the work day was viewed. Electricity, electric light specifically. Before large electric grids the work day was very synchronous with the day/night cycle.
So medieval workers would have viewed summer as the work season where winter would contain long dead hours surely these were passed with household craft/industry but, the concept of shift work (1st,2nd, 3rd) would have seemed not only alien but cruel and absurd.
[Short time tonight but I will go and get sources and more expo tomorrow]