This dissertation has the objective of accomplishing a psychoanalytical investigation about the subjective consequences of changes in the field of work. In psychoanalysis there is an association between work and sublimation which is considered central to the production of culture and the psychic functioning. A review on the construction of the concept of sublimation in Freud s texts points at its distinctive features such as its asexual character, the production of culture and a form of psychic protection. However, the evaluation of the work field today calls into question the relationship between work and sublimation, especially when it comes to the protective function of sublimation. Considering that idealization can also be involved in the construction of culture, based on aiminhibited drives, we suggest that it plays a central role in the composition of the current work field, overriding the importance traditionally attributed to sublimation.