Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Online

Extract

Work is typically described as the activities involved in the production of goods and services. The sociology of work, then, involves the systematic study of the interrelationship between the people and institutions associated with the production of goods and services. The general heading of the sociology of work subsumes many topics, which can be separated roughly into individual-level approaches and structural-level approaches. Individual-level approaches treat the individual as the unit of analysis and typically focus on ascribed characteristics such as gender, race, and age. They also commonly address achieved characteristics such as education, promotion, compensation, and other labor force outcomes. Individual-level approaches may also examine the impact of work over time by looking at the life course or career trajectory of individuals.The units of analysis of structural-level approaches range from jobs, to occupations, to industries, and may even focus on the individual within the larger structure. Common topics addressed under a structural rubric include occupational structures, internal labor markets (ILMs), bureaucracies, unionization, skills, professions, and globalization. Overlapping these two approaches is work on particular occupations or areas of employment, and work on public policy issues related to the labor market, such as affirmative action, comparable worth, ... log in or subscribe to read full text