Work and Society

by Tim Strangleman, Tracey Warren

Work and Society is an important new text about the sociology of work and employment. It provides both undergraduate and postgraduate students of sociology, business and politics, with a firm and enjoyable foundation to this fascinating area of sociology, giving comprehensive coverage of traditional areas of the sub-discipline as well as new trends and developments. The book is divided into three complementary and interconnected sections – investigating work, work and social change and understanding work. These sections allow readers to explore themes, issues and approaches by examining how sociologists have thought about, and researched work and how the sub-discipline has been influenced by wider society itself. Novel features include separate chapters on researching work, domestic work, unemployment and work, and the representation of work in literary and visual media.

354 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2008

Reviews

[Ari Stillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a helpful overview of the history, debates, and intersections of the sociology of work. Grounding each thematic chapter in the writings of Weber, Durkheim, and Marx, the authors pick up the pieces, connect them to contemporary debates, and engage each theme through the lenses of gender and race. Strangleman and Warren do an excellent job compiling an accessible text with callouts of important terminology that sociologists of work should be familiar. It's a great starting point that leaves the reader with new directions – both in terms of previous texts to consult for a given topic and modern questions to ponder – that has made Work and Society a worthwhile read.