Work(PolityKeyConceptsintheSocialSciencesseries)

Thisbookprovidesacriticaloverviewofthemyriadliteratureson“work,”viewednotonlyasaproductofthemarketplacebutalsoasasocialandpoliticalconstruct.Drawingontheoreticalandempiricalcontributionsfromsociology,history,economics,andorganizationalstudies,thebookbringstogetherperspectivesthattoooftenremainbalkanized,usingeachtoexplorethenatureofworktoday.Outliningthefundamentalprinciplesthatunitesocialsciencethinkingaboutwork,Vallasoffersanoriginaldiscussionofthemajortheoreticalperspectivesthatinformworkplaceanalysis,includingMarxist,interactionist,feminist,andinstitutionalistschoolsofthought.Chaptersaredevotedtothelaborprocess,toworkplaceflexibility,togenderandracialinequalitiesatwork,andtothelinkbetweenglobalizationandthestructureofworkandauthoritytoday.Majortopicsincludetherelationbetweenworkandidentity;therelationbetweenworkplacecultureandmanagerialcontrol;andtheperformanceofemotionallaborwithinserviceoccupations.Thisconcisebookwillbeinvaluabletostudentsasitexploresarangeofinsightstomakesenseofpressingissuesthatdrivethesocialscientificstudyofwork,suchasthesocialclosureprocessesthatexcludewomenandminoritiesfromthemosthighlyvaluedjobs,theroleofsocialnetworksinaccountingfordisparitiesinthedistributionofjobrewards,andthestruggleforglobalregimesthatmightregulateworkinanerawhenneo-liberalismhasreignedsupreme.