Includes bibliographical references (p. [173]-194) and index.
Contents:
Introduction. Approaching work -- Three rules of thumb -- Schools of thought in the sociology of work -- Capitalism, Taylorism, and the problem of labor control. Taylorism and the de-skilling debate -- Workplace culture and managerial control -- Workers as subjects : governing the worker's soul -- From Fordism to flexibility? The end of Fordism -- Flexible specialization -- Scrutinizing workplace flexibility -- Ascriptive inequalities at work, I : gender. Studying gender inequality at work -- The gendering of work in the United States -- Human capital theory and supply side approaches -- Structural approaches : the demand side of the equation -- Social networks : the web of affiliations -- The devaluation of women's work -- Ascriptive inequalities, II : race, ethnicity, and diversity at work. The continuing significance of race at work -- Social closure processes -- Social networks and hiring practices -- Race-typing and the devaluation of Black labor -- The concept of diversity : reinforcing inequality? -- The globalization of work. Neo-liberalism : the cult of the marketplace -- Globalization : the debate -- Regulating global capitalism : solidarity movements and codes of conduct -- Conclusion.
Summary:
"This book provides a critical overview of the myriad literatures on "work," viewed not only as a product of the marketplace but also as a social and political construct. Drawing on theoretical and empirical contributions from sociology, history, economics, and organizational studies, the book brings together perspectives that too often remain balkanized, using each to explore the nature of work today. Outlining the fundamental principles that unite social science thinking about work, Vallas offers an original discussion of the major theoretical perspectives that inform workplace analysis, including Marxist, interactionist, feminist, and institutionalist schools of thought. Chapters are devoted to the labor process, to workplace flexibility, to gender and racial inequalities at work, and to the link between globalization and the structure of work and authority today. Major topics include the relation between work and identity; the social closure processes that exclude women and minorities from the most highly valued jobs; and the struggle for global regimes that might regulate work in an era when neo-liberalism has reigned supreme. This concise book will be invaluable to students at all levels as it explores a range of insights to make sense of pressing issues that drive the social scientific study of work today."--P. [4] of cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.