Industrial sociology
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Industrial sociology, until recently a crucial research area within the field of sociology of work, examines "the direction and implications of trends in
Labour process theory
One branch of industrial sociology is
Braverman demonstrated several mechanisms of control in both the factory
Braverman's contribution to the sociology of work and industry (i.e., industrial sociology) has been important and his theories of the labour process continue to inform teaching and research.[citation needed] Braverman's thesis has, however, been contested, notably[citation needed] by Andrew Freidman in his work Industry and Labour (1977).[4][verification needed] In it, Freidman suggests that whilst the direct control of labour is beneficial for the capitalist under certain circumstances, a degree of "responsible autonomy" can be granted to unionized or "core" workers, in order to harness their skill under controlled conditions. Also, Richard Edwards showed in 1979 that although hierarchy in organizations has remained constant, additional forms of control (such as technical control via email monitoring, call monitoring; bureaucratic control via procedures for leave, sickness etc.) have been added to gain the interests of the capitalist class versus the workers. Duncan Gallie[5] has shown how important it is to approach the question of skill from a social class perspective. In his study, the majority of non-manual, intermediate and skilled manual workers believed that their work had come to demand a higher level of skill, but the majority of manual workers felt that the responsibility and skill needed in their work had either remained constant or declined. This implies that Braverman's claims can't be applied to all social classes.
The notion the particular type of technology workers were exposed to shapes their experience was most forcefully argued in a classic study by
Blauner's claims however fail to recognize that the same technology can be experienced in a variety of ways. Studies have shown that cultural differences with regard to management–union relations, levels of hierarchical control, and reward and performance appraisal policies mean that the experience of the same kind of work can vary considerably between countries and firms.[8] The individualization of work and the need for workers to have more flexible skills in order to respond to technological changes means that Blauner's characterization of work experience is no longer valid. Additionally, workers today may work in teams to alleviate workers' sense of alienation, since they are involved in the entire process, rather than just a small part of it. In conclusion, automative technologies and computerized work systems have typically enhanced workers' job satisfaction and skill deployment in the better-paid, secure public and private sector jobs. But, in more non-skilled manual work, they have just perpetuated job dissatisfaction, especially for the many women involved in this type of work.
See also
References
Footnotes
- ^ Watson 2008, p. 392.
- ISSN 0027-0520.
- ^ a b Attewell 1987, pp. 324–325.
- ^ Friedman 1977, pp. 80–82.
- ^ Gallie 1991.
- ^ Blauner 1964.
- ^ Blauner 1964, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Jenkins 1994.
Bibliography
- Attewell, Paul (1987). "The Deskilling Controversy". Work and Occupations. 14 (3): 323–346. S2CID 145700227.
- ISBN 978-0-226-05810-8. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- Friedman, Andrew L. (1977). Industry and Labour: Class Struggle at Work and Monopoly Capitalism. London: Palgrave. ISBN 978-1-349-15845-4.
- Gallie, Duncan (1991). "Patterns of Skill Change: Upskilling, Deskilling or the Polarization of Skills?". Work, Employment and Society. 5 (3): 319–351. S2CID 154177978.
- Jenkins, Alan (1994). "Just-in-Time, 'Regimes' and Reductionism". Sociology. 28 (1): 21–30. S2CID 143615514.
- Watson, Tony J. (2008). Sociology, Work, and Industry (5th ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-43555-0.
Further reading
- Braverman, Harry (1974). Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century. New York: Monthly Review Press.
- Edwards, Richard (1979). Contested Terrain: The Transformation of the Workplace in the Twentieth Century. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-01412-5.