An Introduction to the Sociology of Work and Occupations

by Rudi Volti

• ISBN13: 9781412924962
• ISBN10: 1412924960
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-12-06
• Publisher: Pine Forge Press

Summary

Providing crucial insights into the evolution of life and work Connecting work and occupations to the key subjects of sociological inquiry a?? social and technological change, race, ethnicity, gender, social class, education, social networks, and modes of organization a?? An Introduction to the Sociology of Work and Occupations: Continuity and Change in the 21 st Century introduces students to highly relevant analyses of todaya??s industrial and post-industrial society. Succinct yet comprehensive, this text provides useful analysis of a broad range of topics, covering the changes in the world of work from hunting and gathering to today's Information Age. Featuring a broad range of topics, this unique text provides crucial insight into how life and work are evolving in the 21 st century. Key Features Provides relevant coverage of economic, technological, and social history so students thoroughly understand how the world of work has evolved over time A? Vividly illustrates how differing segments of society have been affected by profound changes in work and its social environment A? Each of 14 chapters focuses on a core aspect of work and occupations and connects it to key sociological themes, topics, and issues A? Weaves discussions of globalization and technological change and their relationship to work throughout the text, beginning with the opening pages A? End-of-chapter questions promote classroom debate and reflection on issues of interest to students and their lives Instructor's Resources on CD-Rom available to qualified instructors. Please contact [e-mail] or 1-800-818-7243 (6 am - 5 pm, PT) to request a copy. Intended Audience This text is valuable for upper-level undergraduate courses such as Sociology of Work and related courses in departments of sociology, organizational behavior, economics, human resource management, and organizational studies.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
About the Author	p. xix
Work Before Industrialization	p. 1
The Oldest and Longest Lasting Mode of Life and Work	p. 1
Gathering-and-Hunting Societies in the Modern World	p. 2
The Working Lives of Gatherer-Hunters	p. 4
The Agricultural Revolution	p. 6
Agricultural Labor and Cultural Change	p. 8
Artisan Work	p. 10
Time and Work	p. 12
Protestantism and the Rise of Capitalism	p. 14
Industrialization and Its Consequences	p. 19
The Industrial Revolution	p. 19
Capitalism and Market Economies	p. 21
Wages and Working Conditions in the Industrial Revolution	p. 23
Women in the Industrial Revolution	p. 25
Industrialization and Social Protest	p. 27
Making Management "Scientific"	p. 27
The Assembly Line	p. 31
A Postindustrial Revolution?	p. 33
Technology, Globalization, and Work	p. 39
Technology, Work, and Occupations	p. 39
Work and Contemporary Technologies	p. 43
Telework	p. 44
Technology and Globalization	p. 46
Globalization, Trade, and Employment	p. 49
Immigration	p. 53
The Organization of Work in Preindustrial Times	p. 59
Traditional Societies and the Organization of Work	p. 60
The Family as a Basis of Work Organization	p. 62
Slavery	p. 63
Caste and Occupation	p. 68
The Guilds	p. 69
Apprenticeship	p. 72
An Assessment of Guild Organization	p. 73
Bureaucratic Organization	p. 79
The Rise of Bureaucratic Organization	p. 79
The Elements of Bureaucratic Organization	p. 81
Where Bureaucracy Works and Where It Doesn't	p. 85
Bureaucratic Organization, Work, and the Worker	p. 87
Alternatives to Bureaucracy	p. 90
Professions and Professionalization	p. 97
The Checklist Approach to the Professions	p. 97
The Professional Continuum	p. 100
Attaining Professional Status	p. 102
Professionalization as a Means of Control	p. 103
Professionals in Organizations	p. 105
Today's Challenges to the Professions	p. 107
Resource Control and Professional Autonomy: The Case of Medicine	p. 110
Diversity and Professional Status	p. 111
Getting a Job	p. 117
The Economics of the Job Market	p. 117
Minimum-Wage Laws	p. 121
Jobs, Human Capital, and Credentials	p. 124
Networks and Their Significance	p. 130
Diversity in the Workplace	p. 137
Race, Ethnicity, and Hiring Practices	p. 137
Women in the Workforce	p. 141
Discrimination, Occupational Segregation, and Pay	p. 145
Getting Ahead	p. 148
Legal Remedies for Discrimination and Occupational Segregation	p. 151
Comparable Worth Policies for the Workplace	p. 152
Who Gets What?	p. 157
The Determination of Wages and Salaries: Market Economics Once Again	p. 157
The Widening Income Gap	p. 159
Why Has Income Inequality Increased?	p. 162
Unionization and Its Decline	p. 164
Technological Change and Income Inequality	p. 165
Computers and Income Inequality	p. 167
Globalization, Employment, and Income	p. 168
Immigration and Income	p. 169
Occupational Prestige	p. 171
Life on the Job: Work and Its Rewards	p. 177
Employment and Unemployment	p. 177
The Personal Consequences of Unemployment	p. 179
Varieties of Employment	p. 181
Work Without Pay	p. 182
The Workplace as School	p. 184
Job Training and Employment Opportunities	p. 185
Work and Social Interaction	p. 186
Social Relationships and Job Performance	p. 188
The Intrinsic Satisfactions of Work	p. 189
Life on the Job II: The Perils and Pressures of Work	p. 195
Work May Be Hazardous to Your Health	p. 195
Stress at Work	p. 197
Jobs, Secure and Insecure	p. 199
Temporary Workers	p. 199
Sexual Harassment at Work	p. 200
Greedy Institutions	p. 201
Alienated Labor	p. 204
Responses to On-the-Job Alienation	p. 206
Managerial Efforts to Reduce On-the-Job Alienation	p. 207
Job Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction Today	p. 208
Workplace Culture and Socialization	p. 215
The Significance of Workplace Cultures	p. 215
Socialization into a Culture	p. 217
Socialization as an Ongoing Process	p. 218
Socialization and Identity	p. 219
Occupational and Organizational Heroes	p. 221
Socialization in Different Occupational Realms	p. 223
Rites of Passage	p. 225
Organizations and Subcultures	p. 227
Supportive Workplace Subcultures	p. 229
Deviant Subcultures	p. 230
Socialization, Careers, and Strain	p. 231
Work Roles and Life Roles	p. 235
The Separation of Work and Residence	p. 235
Working Hours	p. 236
Women at Work	p. 243
Couples, Families, and Careers	p. 246
Reconciling Work Roles and Life Roles	p. 248
Conclusion: Work Today and Tomorrow	p. 257
Technology, Work, and Occupations	p. 257
Making Globalization and Technological Change More Equitable	p. 258
Work and Demographic Change	p. 259
Ethnicity, Gender, and Work	p. 260
Women, Work, and Families	p. 261
Closing the Income Gap	p. 262
The Health Care Morass	p. 265
The Fate of the Professions	p. 266
Organizations for the 21st Century	p. 266
Workers and Jobs for the Future	p. 267
Credits	p. 270
Index	p. 272
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