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A Working Life
Compilation of sociological case studies illustrating the working conditions and living conditions in different work environments of industry, a hospital, the armed forces, etc. In the UK - covers factory work, assembly line work, labour relations, the impact of strikes and unofficial strikes on workers, wages, the woman worker (incl. Discrimination in respect of equal pay), employment services, young workers, older workers, etc.
- GenresSociology
160 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1973
11 people want to read
About the author
Polly Toynbee
29 books38 followersPolly Toynbee (born Mary Louisa Toynbee, 27 December 1946) is a British journalist and writer, and has been a columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 1998. She is a social democrat and broadly supports the Labour Party, while urging it in many areas to be more left-wing, though during the 2010 general election she urged a tactical vote in support of the Liberal Democrats in an attempt to bring about a Lab-Lib coalition in support of proportional representation. She was appointed President of the British Humanist Association in July 2007. In 2007 she was named 'Columnist of the Year' at the British Press Awards.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 29, 2025
What an incredible snapshot of working class existence in Britain from the era of my early childhood. This book awoke deeply buried memories for me from my life at the start of 1970s.
Her experiences on production lines in factories and visiting heavy industries echoes the working lives of my own two parents. I was particularly moved by the disjointed effects of shift work.
Toynbee’s fluid prose is so evocative of the look, the smells and the culture of the era. It’s even telling how cruelly judgemental she can sound and how often the language she uses wanders into vocabulary that is off-limits today.
A Working Life should be required reading for people who voted Brexit to get the 1950s back. This book is filled with all the uncomfortable truths they have forgotten.
You can’t relive the past. And you shouldn’t want to either. But you should try to understand it. This book can help you do that.
Her experiences on production lines in factories and visiting heavy industries echoes the working lives of my own two parents. I was particularly moved by the disjointed effects of shift work.
Toynbee’s fluid prose is so evocative of the look, the smells and the culture of the era. It’s even telling how cruelly judgemental she can sound and how often the language she uses wanders into vocabulary that is off-limits today.
A Working Life should be required reading for people who voted Brexit to get the 1950s back. This book is filled with all the uncomfortable truths they have forgotten.
You can’t relive the past. And you shouldn’t want to either. But you should try to understand it. This book can help you do that.
Displaying 1 of 1 review