SOCY1050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Outsourcing, Scientific Method, Scientific Management
Lecture 12 - Work and Employment
work = tasks requiring the expenditure of mental and physical effort, which has as its
objective the production of goods and services that cater to human needs
a social construct
what counts as human needs?
The experience of work differs between social groups, cultures, and societies over
time
work is a central experience in the formation of identity and the experience of meaning
in the world
Sociologists are interested in the ways with which work produces certain forms of
social practices and interactions
key interests might be:
how does work shape identity (e.g. gender, class, ethnicity)
how does work shape global/political issues (e.g. immigration, poverty, debt)
the effect of technology on organising how, where, and when we work
Pre-Industrial Societies and Work
work was organised around local units, e.g. communities, family, ecosystems
work was often performed outdoors, which fostered closer relationships between
communities, family, ecosystems
work focused on short term fain/subsistence
Occupations were less specialised and education was more generalised
The Industrial Revolution: The Institutionalisation of Work
steam engine tech. allowed work to move beyond human and environmental
constraints
form of inanimate power - allowed for automation, and could be complete objectified
the accumulation of resources attracted workers from agricultural areas towards urban
centres
as urban centres grew, so too did factory sizes, and social issues
Disorganisation
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Document Summary
The experience of work differs between social groups, cultures, and societies over time work is a central experience in the formation of identity and the experience of meaning in the world. Pre-industrial societies and work work was organised around local units, e. g. communities, family, ecosystems work was often performed outdoors, which fostered closer relationships between communities, family, ecosystems work focused on short term fain/subsistence. Occupations were less specialised and education was more generalised. Disorganisation lack of infrastructure factory work was also disorganised rural workers had to adjust. Taylor(cid:1685)s aim was to eliminate unnecessary motions in the workplace his rationalism did not account for the human elements. Bethlehem steel company had 80k tonnes of pig iron, and 75 workers. Spanish war saw the price of pig iron rise. Taylor wanted to find (cid:1684)ideal worker(cid:1685) offered pay rise to follow taylor(cid:1685)s orders to the letter.
