Davidson College

Soc 230 Sociology of Work

Spring Semester, 2006
Course:
Time and Place:
Prerequisite:
Instructor:
Phone Number:
My Office:
Email:
Office Hours:

Sociology 230 -- Sociology of Work

1:-00pm - 2:15pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, Chambers 1045
None.
Gerardo Marti, Ph.D.
(562) 894-2481
Papers turned in outside of class go outside my door in Preyer 107
Pre-Scheduled appointments meet in my office, Preyer 107
gemarti@davidson.edu
Tuesdays, Thursdays 10:00am 12:00pm and by appointment.

Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the sociology of work. Covering the entire field is beyond the scope
of this course, so the course is designed to give a broad overview while also emphasizing selected topics in
greater depth. Topics will include: contemporary issues in 21st century work; a look at work during and
after the Industrial Revolution; major theorists contributions to the study of work; work and self in the
service industry; work and self among professionals and managers; and the modern distinction between
work and family. We will study these topics with material at both the macro level of analysis (e.g., the
occupational structure, the U.S. and global economies, changes of technology and demographics) and the
micro level of analysis (e.g., the demands of workplaces and occupations on workers sense of self and
identity; the influence of work on families), and with both qualitative and quantitative data.
While work occupies a central role in our lives, its social significance extends beyond our personal identities
and daily activities. It is closely intertwined with other social institutions, social structures, and social
processes, especially social inequality. Work is perhaps the most important way in which society impacts
our social experiences and life chances. Throughout the course, we will challenge the taken-for-granted
notions of our society about what constitutes work, what constitutes an occupation or profession, and the
value of the economic vs. the social as a work outcome.
Please note this course is reading, writing, and speaking intensive. Critical reading of texts, cogent
writings, articulate oral presentations, and full participation in dialogue are all mandatory. Full
attendance is not only encouraged but expected. Class assignments in the form of integrative papers will
measure your ability to grasp and apply the sociological perspective from readings and from information
emerging from class discussions. Analytical projects provide opportunities to pursue interests in greater
depth.
Course goals for this course include:

Apply the aims and objectives of the sociological analysis of work,

Demonstrate understanding of the historical development of modern forms of work,

Demonstrate understanding of social change stimulated by transforming work processes and

globalization,

Articulate the challenges and oppressions of humanity through the lens of class, race, and
gender both nationally and internationally,

Articulate the initial theoretical considerations of prominent thinkers of sociology of work,

Pursue and personalize a greater understanding of particular occupations in-depth,

Understand and critique the current forms of work and managerial trends,

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

Apply sociological perspective to the understanding of everyday work in both service and
professional occupations,

Demonstrate understanding of dynamic relationship between work roles and organizational

cultures,

Understand and anticipate work/family tensions as well as critique alternative structures for
resolving them,

Clearly discuss contemporary developments and critiques in the sociology of work,

Understand qualitative research methodology in pursuit of specific research questions, and

Develop analytical and critical thinking abilities in both written and oral forms in exploring
ideas, organizational structures, and current events within the alternative frameworks within
the sociology of work.

Required Books & Readings for All Students:

Working in America: Continuity, Conflict, and Change (2nd ed.) edited by Amy S. Wharton. 2002.
Mc-Graw Hill. Comprehensive reader with shorter articles to explore.
The New Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age by Simon Head. 2005. Oxford
University Press. Development and core processes of the new economy.
Fast Food, Fast Talk: Service Work and the Routinization of Everyday Life by Robin Leidner. 1993.
University of California Press. Looking at the routinized service industry.
Engineering Culture: Control and Commitment in a High Tech Corporation by Gideon Kunda.
Temple University Press. 1993. Looking at self and culture in corporate America.
Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies: Itinerant Experts in a Knowledge Economy by Stephen R.
Barley, Gideon Kunda. Princeton University Press. 2004. Looking at growing sector of
professional work in the current economy.
The Time Bind: When Work becomes Home and Home becomes Work by Arlie Russell Hochschild.
1997. Owl Books. Looking at todays working parents and their families.
Reserved readings available through the Davidson College library online, indicated by (R).

Books Recommended for All:

Three Billion New Capitalists: The Great Shift of Wealth and Power to the East by Cylde Prestowitz.
2005. Basic Books. Global outsourcing and its impact on US and global economy.
The Chinese Century: The Rising Chinese Economy and Its Impact on the Global Economy, the
Balance of Power, and Your Job by Oded Shenkar. 2004. Wharton School Publishing. Focus on
changes in China and relevance to US workers.
The Dignity of Working Men: Morality and the Boundaries of Race, Class, and Immigration by
Michle Lamont. 2002. Harvard University Press.
Domstica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadows of Affluence by Pierrette
Hondagneu-Sotela. 2001. University of California Press. Contemporary form of immigrant
labor.
No-Collar: The Humane Workplace and Its Hidden Costs by Andrew Ross. Basic Books. 2002.
Looking at vision and tensions in recent anti-corporate organizations.
On the Front Line: Organization of Work in the Information Economy (Cornell International
Industrial and Labor Relations Reports, No 35.) by Marek Korczynski, Karen A. Shire, May Tam,
Stephen J. Frenkel. 1999. ILR/Cornell University Press. Global study of knowledge laborers.
The Boundaryless Career: A New Employment Principle for a New Organizational Era. Michael B.
Aurhur and Denise M. Rousseau (eds). 2001. Oxford. Perspectives on new worker mobility.
Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream by Barbara Ehrenreich. 2005.
HarperCollins. White collar unemployment and job search.
Commercialization of Intimate Life: Notes from Home and Work by Arlie Russell Hochschild.
University of California Press. 2003. Influential insights into work-family issues.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

Specific Requirements:
Pre-Discussion Papers

from Unit 1
from Unit 2
from Unit 3
from Unit 4

2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%

#1 Analysis of an Occupation Over Time

#2 Interview Your Future Career
#3 Analysis of Career Path

10%
15%
15%

Projects

Integration Papers

New Ruthless Economy

Fast Food, Fast Nation
Gurus, Hired Guns, Warm Bodies

Participation

15%
15%
15%

5%
Total Grade = 100%

Note on Attendance
I expect you to come to class, that is to say, show up on time, stay the entire class period, and
participate fully in each class the whole time you are there. Students often ask me how many times they
are allowed to cut my class. The answer is that every absence will have a negative effect on your grade.
For one thing there are frequent analytical discussions and in-class writing. And if you are absent, you
cant make up those experiences. If you arrive late for a class period, you wont make up for the
experience either.
Please note: While student athletes may miss one class meeting in this semester for prescheduled events, every student must find another student in class to obtain any material covered on
days missed. Please have event schedules provided to me at the beginning of the semester.
Im concerned about tardiness, too. Heres how I handle it: pre-discussion papers and other
assignments are checked at the beginning of class. If you are late, I wont accept your work. And if you
walk out early, Ill return your work to you. Ungraded.
One more thing. three unexcused absences are sufficient grounds for failing this course.
I presume students can and will attend all or almost all classes, but may occasionally have a
legitimate reason to miss one class in the semester (extremely sick, family funeral, etc.). However, I am
not interested in adjudicating doctors' notes and other excuses. Come to class, and don't miss more than
one, if any. An unreasonable number of absences from class will definitely hurt one's final grade.
If you miss more than one class, you might want to have one or more excused. What is an
excused absence? For an absence to be excused, there must be three components: First, you must tell me
ahead of time when and why you will miss this class. Second, you must have a legitimate excuse
(student athletic events, class trips, sickness, weddings, funeral); please note that failed alarm clocks or
other business outside of this class are simply not excusable. Third, you must find another student
afterward to make up the work.
Ive become a stickler about attendance. I want you here. I want you here on time. I expect you
to be attentive and participate actively the whole class period. I expect you to stay until the end of class.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

Note on Participation
Attending class is an important part of your job, but it isnt the whole story. Get actively
involved in the learning process. Dont be a passive listener! Never underestimate the power you have
to make a positive impact on the energy and progress that we make as a class. If class is boring, lifeless,
irrelevant, if the dialogue falls flat, the students are not responsive, the professor talks too much, or the
back row is disrespectful, ask yourself this question: what can I do to be an instrument of energy, life
light, creativity, encouragement, focus, and intellectual energy in this class? Then do it.
During class, you should ask at least one question and make at least one comment every time we
get together. That is your charge. Ask questions. Make comments. Express your opinion. That way,
our class will become an interesting and energetic conversation among interesting and energetic people.
The amount of learning you experience depends a great deal on your thoughtful questions!
During group work and class discussion, your input is especially important. We will work in groups to
review concepts, share ideas, make new connections, follow-up on insights & arguments as well as
encourage and support each other in learning sometimes difficult and sometimes very subtle ideas. This
interaction is one of the most important things we do.
Note on Due Dates
Hard copies of written assignments are due on the designated date at the beginning of class. Papers are
considered late if turned in after the beginning of class. Late assignments will be docked a full grade for
each 24 hour period they are late beginning after the start of class. Please avoid last-minute frustrations by
finishing and printing your documents EARLY.
Analytic Pre-Discussion Papers
It is essential for you to keep up with the reading and to read actively. Active reading means taking notes
as you read, making a list of questions you have as you read, and reading far enough ahead that you have
a chance not only to read but to think about what you have read. I expect that you will have read each
days readings for our class meeting unless otherwise indicated in the syllabus.
About every-other class meeting, you will prepare an analytic pre-discussion paper. These analytic prediscussion papers are assignments that integrate the most recent weeks reading material. These prediscussion papers consist of at least two parts: 1) Essentialize, TWO summaries of things you learned
from the readings, e.g., What are the essential concepts, ideas, insights and how are they connected? and
2) Then Improvise, TWO questions provoked through the assignment, e.g., What are the implications I see
which the author does not or did not bring out? You may view the assignment as writing a critical,
introductory preface to each sections papers that reflects our growing understanding of knowledge
from a sociological perspective. As such, your paper should be analytical, assume a personal point-ofview, and integrate mention of each reading in the context of that essay. These weekly pre-discussion
notes provide launch points for our class discussion. Each paper should be between 2.5 and 4 pages in
length, double spaced, have one inch margins, and typed in 12 point type. Papers are due at the
beginning of class, weekly, except for the first week of the semester, and will be the basis for in-class
discussion. They will help you in class discussion and prepare you for writing your papers with an
accentuated critical awareness. During class discussions, you are to demonstrate a grasp of the reading
material assigned. Participation through questions, comments and clarifications will be especially noted.
Analytic Projects
Analytic projects are concise papers that explore different aspects of work based on your personal
interests. Each assignment allows you to explore the past, present, and future of a particular occupation.
You may concentrate on one occupation for all three projects; alternately, you can choose different ones

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

for each one. This is your opportunity to explore alternative vocational paths, so please take advantage of
it. All three projects are further described at the end of this syllabus.
Analytical Project 1: Changes in Occupational Demographics, 1920-2000
For this project (#1), you will collect and interpret data on changes over time in the sex and composition
of two specific occupations, as well as the broad occupational category of the two occupations. You will
present the data in tables and compare and contrast the changes in the different occupations and the
occupational category. This will result in a 3-4 page paper. See detailed sheet at end of this syllabus.
Analytical Project 2: Professional Work -- Interview or Content Analysis
The second Analytic Project (#2) will result in a 4-5 page paper. For this project, you will conduct either
an interview with a professional worker or a content analysis of information about professional training
sites. Everyone will complete a common set of questions about their profession of choice to supplement
their empirical research. Please see detailed sheet at the end of this syllabus. Possible professions to
consider include: physician, lawyer, executive, lawyer, engineer, scientist, dentist, architect, college
professor (if your profession is not on the list, see me for approval).
Analytic Project 3: Occupational Analysis Research Paper
The third Analytical Project (#3) will result in a final 5-6 page paper. Choose an occupation that you
would like to know more about. You can focus on a specific job within the occupation or an occupation
overall. If you choose a specific job, be sure to consider and discuss it in relation to its broader
occupational context. More details are given in the detailed sheet at the end of this syllabus.
For this final paper, I would suggest organizing your paper as follows:
Introduction (1 page). First state the topic of your paper and briefly situate this topic in terms of
the topics and questions covered during this course. By the end of the second paragraph it is essential
that you have told me what the purpose of your paper is and what your central argument / thesis is. If
you read the first two paragraphs of your paper and the goals and purpose of the paper are not very
clear, please revise. I would also suggest a map paragraph at the end of the introduction that tells me
where we will be going in the paper. (For example, I first explain.then argue.by presenting evidence
about three themes.)
Body (3-4 pages). In this section please present and development your argument by providing
several distinct pieces of information / evidence in support of it.
If there is any relevant background to explain about your thesis / argument present that first.
(For example, key terms may need a paragraph to articulate what you mean. Perhaps a brief paragraph
or two about the history relevant to your argument would be necessary). A section providing background
is not essential for everyone. You need to decide whether it is necessary to help your reader(s)
understand. Think of your audience as me and other people in the class.
If much of your paper is based on the analysis of primary sources (newspapers, web pages, etc.),
please be sure to explain how you located them (i.e. what your method was). If you utilized any social
scientific methods, please provide a methodological description. An appendix with appropriate material
(e.g., survey questionnaires, interview questions, coding schemes) may be necessary.
Then develop your argument by clearly presenting the evidence you have gathered in support of
it. For example, if you are comparing two or more arguments, this section will be organized around the

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

themes around which you are doing the comparison. There are two ways to structure a compare and
contrast paper. Pick the one that works best for you.
Theme 1
Argument/Theory A
Argument/Theory B
Theme 2
Argument/Theory A
Argument/Theory B
etc.
Or
Argument/Theory A
Theme 1
Theme 2
Argument/Theory B
Theme 1
Theme 2
etc.
This is certainly not the only way to structure your paper, and you have the opportunity to craft
your paper as you please. I encourage you to use section headings in this section and throughout the
paper if it helps you organize your thoughts and presentation.
Conclusion (1-2 pages): By this point, your argument and all of your evidence should be clearly
presented. Briefly summarize your argument here and think about what the implications of your
argument are more broadly. If your findings raise questions about other topics covered in this class,
please make those connections briefly here. If you have concluded, after writing this paper, that you want
to know more about your topic, explain what the next steps might be. etc.
**After you have finished writing your paper, go back and read the introduction, the first
sentence of each of your paragraphs, and your conclusion. From this, the point of your paper should be
very clear. If parts of your argument are embedded in the middle of other paragraphs (so you dont see
them when doing this little test), restructure your paragraphs. Also make sure that you dont conclude
something that contradicts or is very different from what you say in the introduction. After finishing their
first draft, most people need to take the conclusion to their paper and use it to rewrite their introduction!
If you want me to help you make a more specific outline / list of questions to answer in your
paper, please let me know. I am happy to work with you on this.
Integration Papers
Integration papers are 4 - 5 page papers that vividly convey your growing understanding of
sociological concepts/theories/perspectives/processes of work. Each of these three integration papers
will focus on a text. The three papers are:
Simon Heads The New Ruthless Economy Integration Paper, in which you write vividly, clearly
and intelligently your integration of concepts by focusing your analysis and critique on Simon Heads The
New Ruthless Economy. This paper will draw on ideas from class discussion as well as readings from Unit
1: History, Transformation, and Theory of Work.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

Robin Leidners Fast Food, Fast Nation Integration Paper, in which you write vividly, clearly
and intelligently your integration of concepts by focusing your analysis and critique on Robin Leidners
Fast Food, Fast Nation. This paper will draw on ideas from class discussion, readings from Unit 2:
Routinization and Service Work, and cumulative concepts/ideas up to this point.
Stephen R. Barley and Gideon Kundas Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies Integration Paper,
in which you write vividly, clearly and intelligently your integration of concepts by focusing your
analysis and critique on Barley and Kundas Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies. This paper will draw on
ideas from class discussion, readings from Unit 3: Professionals and Professionalization, and cumulative
concepts/ideas up to this point.
Remember: These papers are an opportunity to display your growing understanding of a
sociological perspective of work. The papers should integrate cumulative learning from this course.
A suggested structure is below just to get you started, but please note that you have freedom to
structure the essay however you wish:
FIRST PARAGRAPH identify a thesis and whether the author achieves the stated purpose of the
book; overall description and purpose of the book.
What is the book about?
What arena of social life does it explain?
Does the book deliver what the title suggests it is going to deliver? Judge the book by its
intentions, not yours.
Does the book do what it says it is going to do?
SECOND (AND MAYBE THIRD) PARAGRAPH summarize the major themes of the book.
What is the books argument?
What are the books terms and how are they defined?
Place the book in the context/texture of its field: importance, place, historical or social function.
What is the academic/philosophical/theoretical lineage or school of thought (context)?
NEXT PARAGRAPH (AND MAYBE ANOTHER) connect book with other sociological
ideas/concepts/theories.
How does it add to our knowledge?
Does the book extend, amend, critique, and/or affirm other ideas?
Does it conflict with other ideas? Does it complement other ideas?
Do concepts/ideas/theories from others amend or critique those presented in this book?
FINAL PARAGRAPH on my assessment of books relevance to me/others, my evaluation.
How does this book apply to your own life/culture/historical time period?
What did you learn about your own social context that was not evident to you before?
Should this book be read, and by whom? Who would benefit from reading this book?
What makes this book important?
What are the implications of this book on understanding our world?
Final Review
There will be no final review. I reserve the right to schedule a final review, however, if you are not
keeping up with class readings.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

Policy on Collaboration and Plagiarism

Writing is a collaborative art, especially in this class where discussion groups are built into the
course. Talking about your paper with a spouse, roommate, friend, family member, etc. is also
encouraged. You are welcome to work through ideas with other students. Collaboration is good.
On the other hand, the paper you write must be entirely your own. Passing off somebody elses
work as your own (because you copied it out of a book, paraphrased it out of a book, bought a paper
from a research paper service, downloaded it form the internet, wrote down ideas that someone else was
dictating to you, recycled an essay written by someone else, or had someone else rewrite your paper for
you) is plagiarism. It is unethical, illegal, and, in a college course, sufficient grounds for failure of the
course. Dont do it. When in doubt, cite. If you are unsure of something, ask. Diana Hacker in A
Writers Reference gives excellent advice on avoiding plagiarism, pages 82-91.
Final Grade
Your final grade for the class will be based on participation in class discussions, analytic prediscussion papers, three analytical projects, and three integration papers. I will use the following
guidelines to grade your written assignments:
A
Outstanding Work (90-100%) Goes above and beyond the requirements of the assignment, above
and beyond merely competent work. Outstanding effort, significant achievement, and mastery of the
material of the course are clearly evident. Exceptional critical skills, creativity or originality is also
evident. Consistently developed sociological perspective.
B
Above Average (80-89%) A B paper fulfills all aspects of the assignment and goes bit beyond
minimum competence to demonstrate a thorough and above average understanding of course material.
Extra effort, extra achievement or extra improvement often evident. Clearly demonstrated sociological
perspective.
C
Average (70-79%) A C paper fulfills all aspects of the assignment with obvious competence
and grace. A thorough and satisfactory understanding of basic course material and incorporation of a
sociological perspective. If you do the assignment exactly as it is assigned, you will receive an average
grade; in other words, you will receive a grade of 75.
D
Below Average (60-69%) A D paper represents marginally satisfactory understanding of basic
course material. A D may indicate failure to follow directions, failure to implement specific
recommendations, or failure to demonstrate personal effort and improvement. Surface level grasp or
application of a sociological perspective. Often a D is given either because some aspect of the
assignments have not been fulfilled, or because a preponderance of errors (more than one or two per
page) interferes with clear communication.
F
Lack of demonstration of satisfactory understanding of basic course material. Failure to grasp or
apply a sociological perspective. Not Acceptable, either because the student did not complete the
assignment as directed, or because the level of writing skill is below an acceptable level for college work.
**All papers and/or reviews must be completed to receive a passing grade in this class**
In addition to these five grades, a student may receive a grade of R. R stands for Redo and
means the student has both the opportunity and the responsibility to do the assignment over. Usually
this is given because the student has misunderstood the assignment, or because some particularly
egregious error prevents the paper form achieving its purpose, or because I believe that the student has
made a good faith effort to excel but has run into significant difficulties with the assignments. If you
receive a grade of R, you have 48 hours to contact me for a phone or face-to-face appointment. In our
Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

appointment, we will discuss what went wrong with the assignment, and we will contract a way and a
time to redo the assignment. If you fail to turn in a revision according to the individual contract, the
student will receive a 0 on the assignment. My scale for final averages is as follows:
94-100
90-93
88-89
84-87
80-83
78-79

A
AB+
B
BC+

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

74-77
70-73
68-69
64-67
60-63
0-59

C
CD+
D
DF

Please Note: Topics & Assignments May Shift; Changes in will be Announced
Date

Topics & Exams

Read, Think & Explore

(WR = Wharton Reader)

January
10

Introduction to
Course

Begin reading Simon Head, The Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age.

January

Sociological Study
of Work: What is
Work? What is
Occupation?

Unit 1. History, Transformation, and Theory of Work.

12

Capturing the Soul

of Modern Work

Expanding our notions of work; The occupational structure; broad trends that affect the
study of work and occupations; implications of change in industry for the American
workforce; occupational prestige; stigma and the experience of temps; expectations of
mens work and womens work; work in the underground economy.

Analyze,
Write &
Create

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 42: Invisible Work by Arlene Kaplan Daniels

WR 35: Just a Temp by Kevin D. Henson
WR 28: (skim) Getting and Making a Tip by Greta Foff Paules
WR 20: Jobless Poverty by William Julius Wilson
Recommended:
Abbott, Andrew. 1993. The Sociology of Work and Occupations. Annual Review of
Sociology 19: 187-209.

January
17

Work Life from the

Industrial
Revolution
Forward

Comparing contemporary issues to descriptions of work during the Industrial Revolution.

Juliet B. Schor, 1991, Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure. Basic Books.
Chapters 1 The Overworked American, 2 Time Squeeze, and 3 Life of Hard Labor.
(R)

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Simon Head, The Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age. Chapter 1.
Recommended:
E.P. Thompson. 1966. Making of the English Working Class. Vintage.
Harriet H. Robinson. 1898. Loom and Spindle, or Life Among the Early Mills Girls. Reprint,
Kailu, Hawaii: Press Pacifica, 1976, esp. 28, 4041, 5657.
Crawford, Margaret. 1996. Building the Workingmans Paradise. The Design of American
Company Towns. Verso.
January
19

Theories of Work:
Labor and
Alienation

Basic theories of Marxism; alienation; division of labor.

WR 8: The Division of Labor by Harry Braverman

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 4: Alienated Labor by Karl Marx

Simon Head, The New Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age, Chapter 2 & 3
January
23

Theories of Work:
Bureaucracy and
Control

Group work on Edwards reading; connect stories of three workers presented in the article
to previous readings weve done so far; Weber and the ideal typical bureaucracy; the iron
cage.

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 9: Contested Terrain: The Transformation of the Workplace in the Twentieth

Century by Richard C. Edwards
WR 5: Bureaucracy by Max Weber
Simon Head, The New Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age, Chapter 4 & 5
January
27

Theories of Work:
Modern
Management

Taylor and the impact of scientific management, the Hawthorne Experiment; Human
Relations school of management.

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 6: Fundamentals of Scientific Management by Frederick Winslow Taylor

WR 7: The Hawthorne Experiment: Western Electric Company by Elton Mayo
Simon Head, The New Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age, Chapter 6 & (skim
7 & 8)

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

10

Recommended:
Braverman, Harry. Labor and Monopoly Capital, On Scientific Management pp. 85-123.
January
31

Contemporary
Issues:
Globalization

Manifestations of how global the global economy is; McDonalds in Beijing; issues of
virtual workplaces and transnational workplaces; cultural adaptations; service work in
other white collar settings; employee involvement programs and the self; BPOs (Business
Process Outsourcing) as example of processes of social change.

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 16: Net-Working for a Living: Irish Software Developers in the Global Workplace by
Sean O Riain
WR 17: The Global Economy and the Privileged Class by Robert Perrucci and Earl
Wysong
WR 18: McDonalds in Beijing by Yunxiang Yan
Oded Shenkar, 2004, The Chinese Century: The Rising Chinese Economy and Its Impact on the
Global Economy, the Balance of Power, & Your Job, Wharton School Publishing, Chapter 7. (R)
Simon Head, The New Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age, Chapter 9
Recommended:
Cylde Prestowitz, 2005, Three Billion New Capitalists: The Great Shift of Wealth and Power to
the East. Basic Books.
February
2

Contemporary
Issues: New Forms
of Social Control

Globalization and contemporary forms of slavery; contract slavery in newly industrialized

countries; digitally-inspired forms of power; consideration of work for near-future in
advanced and developing countries.

Pre-discussion
Paper

Kevin Bales, 2004, Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy. University of
California Press. Pp. 1-31; 121-131, 140-143. (R)
Simon Head, The New Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the Digital Age, Chapter 10
February
7

Routinization of
Work: Life in and
Beyond the Factory

Unit 2. Routinization and Service Work.

Transitions in manufacturing; industrial revolution; Fordism; post-Fordism; effect of
technological changes on worker identity; micro-macro connections., contrast routinization
with Taylorism and bureaucracy; deviations from workplace rules; the game of making
out; characteristics and consequences of the culture of making out; culture of women
on the line; issues in structure of manufacturing jobs.

The New
Ruthless
Economy
Integration
Paper due.

WR 25: Thirty Years of Making Out by Michael Burawoy

WR 26: Women on the Line by Tom Juravich
WR 12: (skim) In the Age of smart Machine by Shoshanna Zuboff
WR 14: The Transformation of Work Revisited: The Limits of Flexibility of American
Manufacturing by Steven P. Vallas and John P. Beck
Begin reading Robin Leidner, Fast Food, Fast Talk.
Recommended:
Milkman, Ruth. 1997. Farewell to the Factory: Autoworkers in the Late Twentieth Century.
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Marek Korczynski, Karen A. Shire, May Tam, Stephen J. Frenkel. 1999. On the Front Line:
Organization of Work in the Information Economy ILR/Cornell University Press.
February
9

Overview of
Routinization in
the Service
Industry

Micro/macro connections of routinization; challenges of routinization for workplaces and

workers; emotion work.

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 10: The Managed Heart by Arlie Russell Hochschild

Robin Leidner chapters 1-2, Working on People and How Can Work on People by
Routinized?
Recommended:
Bearman, Peter. 2005. Doormen. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Van Maanen, John. 1991. The Smile Factory: Work at Disneyland. Pp. 58-76 in Reframing
Organizational Culture, edited by Peter J. Frost, Larry F. Moore, Meryl Reis Louis, Craig C.
Lundberg, and Joanne Martin. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

11

February
14

February
16

Comparing Service
Work at
McDonalds &
Selling Insurance

Socialization processes at McDonalds difference owners and workers. Socialization of

insurance salespeople; mechanism to secure member commitment; identities of insurances
salespeople.

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Robin Leidner chapter 3-4, Over the Counter: McDonalds and Orchestrating
Optimism: Combined Insurance

Project 1 Due.

Workplace Control
of the Self and
Identity

Revisit theories of Taylor and Marc re: interests of managers/owners and workers; how
are the interests of workers, owners, and customers aligned McDonalds and Combined
Insurance?; what is the impact of routinization on workers in both settings?

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Robin Leidner chapter 5, Controlling Interests

Recommended:
Michle Lamont, 2002, The Dignity of Working Men: Morality and the Boundaries of Race,
Class, and Immigration. Harvard University Press.
Covaleski, Mark A., Mark W. Dirsmith, James B. Heian, and Sanjay Samuel. 1998. The
Calculated and the Avowed: Techniques of Discipline and Struggles over Identity in Big
Six Public Accounting Firms. Administrative Science Quarterly 43(2): 293-327.
February
21

Meanings of
Service Work

Identify and gender meanings at McDonalds and Combined Insurance; identity work
salience of identity and identity construction; American values and routine work.
Robin Leidner chapters 6-7, Meanings of Routinized Work and Conclusion

February
23

Meanings of
Service Work,
cont: Domestic
Help

WR 29: (skim) Maid to Order: The Politics of Other Womens Work by Barbara
Ehrenreich.

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.
Pre-discussion
Paper.

Hondagneu-Sotela, Pierrette. 2001. Domstica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the
Shadows of Affluence. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Pp. ix-xv, 3-22, 30-60, 6370, 76-87, 92-95, 100-103. (R)
Recommended:
Arlie Russell Hochschild and Barbara Ehrenreich (Eds), 2003, Global Woman: Nannies,
Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy. Metropolitan Books.

February

Semester Break.

Begin reading Kunda, Engineering Culture. Class resumes March 6.

None.

Professionals and
Managerial Work:
Overview of Major
Issues

Unit 3: Professionals and Professionalization

Fast Food,
Fast Nation
Integration
Paper Due.

28
March
7

Recent trends in the world of professional work; professional projects; history of medicine
as a professional project; managers and managerial projects
WR 19: Occupational Change: Can the Economy Still Produce Good Jobs and, If So, Who
Gets Them? by Frank Levy
WR 33: (Skim) The Social Structure of Managerial Work by Robert Jackall
Gideon Kunda, Engineering Culture: Control and Commitment in a High Tech Corporation,
Chapter 1.
Recommended:
Leicht and Fennell, chapters 1-3, Professional and Managerial Work in the 21st c.;
Conceptual Background; Managers and Managerial Work
Abbott, Andrew. 1988. The System of Professions: An Essay on the Division of Expert Labor.
Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Larson, Magali. 1979. The Rise of Professionalism. University of California Press. (The
Historical Matrix of Modern Professions, pp.2-8)

March
9

Life in the
Corporation:
Corporate Culture
and Normative
Control

Cultural influences on identity; identity as a dialectic; work/home boundaries

Gideon Kunda, Engineering Culture: Control and Commitment in a High Tech Corporation,
Chapters 2 & 3.

Pre-discussion
Paper.

(skim) Fraser, Jill. White Collar Sweat Shop: The Deterioration of Work and Its Rewards in
Corporate America. Norton. 2001. Pp. 75-96. (R)
Michael B. Arthur and Denise M. Rousseau (Eds), 2001, The Boundaryless Career: A New
Employment Principle for a New Organizational Era. Oxford. Pp. 4-6, 9-11. (R)

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

12

March
14

The Professional
Self: Creating and
Compartmentalizin
g Identity

Gideon Kunda, Engineering Culture: Control and Commitment in a High Tech Corporation,
Chapters 4 & 5.
Michael B. Arthur and Denise M. Rousseau (Eds), 2001, The Boundaryless Career: A New
Employment Principle for a New Organizational Era. Oxford. Pp. 187-198. (R)

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Recommended:
Robert Jackall, 1988, Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers, Oxford.
WR: 23 The Corporate Closet: The Professional Lives of Gay Men in America by James
D. Woods with Jay H. Lucas
March
16

Introducing
Contract Work in
the Knowledge
Economy

Gideon Kunda, Engineering Culture: Control and Commitment in a High Tech Corporation,
Chapters 6.

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Barley and Kunda, Gurus, Hired Guns, and Warm Bodies, Chapters Preface, and Chapter 1
Unlikely Rebels.
Michael B. Arthur and Denise M. Rousseau (Eds), 2001, The Boundaryless Career: A New
Employment Principle for a New Organizational Era. Oxford. Pp. 58-73, 97-114, 350-360. (R)

March
21

Standard and
Nonstandard
Employment and
New Structures of
Professional Work

Barley and Kunda, chapters 2-4, Clients, Contractors, Agencies.

Arne L. Kalleberg; Barbara F. Reskin; Ken Hudson. Bad Jobs in America: Standard and
Nonstandard Employment Relations and Job Quality in the United States. American
Sociological Review, Vol. 65, No. 2. (Apr., 2000), pp. 256-278.
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00031224%28200004%2965%3A2%3C256%3ABJIASA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Recommended:
Leicht and Fennell, chapters 4-5, Neoentrepreneurial Workplace and Theoretical
Models of Profession Work
March
23

Professional Work
in Changing
Contexts: Focus on
the Medical
Profession

Relations between professionals and managers; implications for physicians; physician

MBAs; conflicts; negotiations.

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 30: Working on (and Around) the Unborn Patient: Negotiating Social Order in a Fetal
Treatment Unit by Monica J. Casper
Michael Ruhlman, 2003, Walk on Water: Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit, Penguin
Books, Chapters 2, 4, 6 (only 166-198). (R)
Barley and Kunda, chapters 5 and 6, The Information Game and Making the Deal.
Recommended:
Leicht and Fennell, chapter 6, Change the Organizational Context
Weinberg, Dana Beth. 2003. Code Green: Money-Drive Hospitals and the Dismantling of
Nursing. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press.
Bosk, Charles L. 2003. To Forgive and Remember: Managing Medical Failure. 2nd ed. Chicago,
IL: University of Chicago Press.
Barley, Stephen R. 1986. Technology as an occasion for structuring: evidence from
observations of CT scanners and the social order of radiology departments. Administrative
Science Quarterly 31: 78-108.
DelVecchio Good, Mary-Jo. 1988. American Medicine. University of California Press.

March
28

Stratification
among
Professionals

Discussion of hierarchies among professional workers and within professional firms.

Barley and Kunda, chapters 7-9, Contractors as Commodities, Contractors as Experts,
and Navigating between Respect and Resentment.
Recommended:
Leicht and Fennell, chapter 7, Interest Diversity and Demographic Diversity and chapter
8, Producing Stratification

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.
Project 2 Due.

Daniel Beunza & David Stark. 2004. Tools of the Trade: The Socio-technology of Arbitrage
in a Wall Street Trading Room. Industrial and Corporate Change 13: 369-400.
Zaloom, Caitlin. 2003. Ambiguous Numbers: Trading Technologies and Interpretation in
Financial Markets. American Ethnologist 30 (2): 258-272.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

13

Abolafia, Mitchel Y. 1996. Making Markets: Opportunism and Restraint on Wall Street.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Eccles, Robert G. and Dwight B. Crane. 1988. Doing Deals: Investment Banks at Work.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
March
30

Stratification
among
Professionals, cont

Managerial and professional projects; managers and professionals trading places;

discussion of Rambo Litigators; Goffmans theory of dramaturgy

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 31: Rambo Litigators: Emotional Labor in a Male-Dominated Job by Jennifer L.

Pierce
Barley and Kunda, chapters 10-12, Temporal Capital, Building and Maintaining
Human Capital, and Building and Maintaining Social Capital.
Barley and Kunda, chapters 13, Itinerant Professionals in a Knowledge Economy.
Recommended:
Leicht and Fennell, chapter 9, Conclusion
Pierce, Jennifer L. 1996. Gender Trials: Emotional Lives in a Contemporary Law Firm. Berkeley
and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.

April
4

Anti-Corporate
Culture in New
Media Companies,
Vision and
Tensions

Work expectations in the New Economy; shifts in gender, status, and required skills
among new media workers; digerati and the rise of technoculture, re-engineering fads,
future of the knowledge industry.

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

WR 15: Employee Involvement, Involved employees: Participative Work Arrangements

in a White-Collar Service Occupation by Vicki Smith
Andrew Ross. 2002. No-Collar: The Humane Workplace and Its Hidden Costs. Basic Books,
Chapters 1, 2, (skim Chapter 3 & first part Chapter 4 pp 55-108), read Chapter 4 pp 109122. (R)

April
6

April
11

Anti-Corporate
Culture, Vision and
Tensions, cont

Bobos (Bourgeois/Bohemians); growth and core values of silicon paradise, dotcoms

designed to flip, corporate buy-outs and betrayal.

The Job Search

among White
Collar workers

White collar unemployment, resume-building as impression management, coaches, The

Gap, networking, resume spamming through internet, religion and the corporation,
personality tests and job fit, skills vs. passion.

Andrew Ross. 2002. No-Collar: The Humane Workplace and Its Hidden Costs. Basic Books,
Chapters 5, 6, 7 (skim Chapter 8). (R)

Notes for Prediscussion

Paper.

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Barbara Ehrenreich, 2005, Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream,
HarperCollins, pp. 1-13, 15-27, 32-39, 41-51, 65-86, 124-136, 167-172, 173-186, 202-211, 216221, 226-235. (R)
April
13

Contemporary
Issues: Race, Class,
and Gender

Issues of race, class, and gender in the workplace; theories of worker commitment and
cooperation (Barnard); changing occupational demographics.
WR 24: Their Logic Against Them: Contradictions in Sex, Race, and Class in Silicon
Valley by Karen J. Hossfeld

Gurus, Hired
Guns, and
Warm Bodies
Integration
Paper due.

WR 21: Culture, Commerce, and gender: The Feminization of Book Editing by Barbara
Reskin
Recommended:
Royster, Deidre A. 2003. Race and the Invisible hand: How White Networks Exclude Black Men
From Blue-Collar Jobs. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Williams, Christine L. Inside Toyland Working, Shopping, and Social Equality. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press.
Reskin, Barbara F. and Irene Padavic. 2002. Women and Men at Work. 2nd ed. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Levin, Peter. 2001. Gendering the Market. Temporality, Work, and Gender on a National
Futures Exchange. Work and Occupations 28(1): 112-130.
Skuratowicz, Eva and Larry W. Hunter, 2004. Where Do Womens Jobs Come From? Job
Resegregation in American Bank. Work and Occupations 31(1): 73-110.
Occupational Ghettos: The Worldwide Segregation of Women And Men (Studies in Social

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

14

Inequality) by Maria Charles, David B. Grusky. Stanford University. 2005. (Esp. Chap1,
"The Four Puzzles of Sex Segregation," Chap 2, "Toward Linking Theory and Method: A
New Approach to Understanding Variability in Sex Segregation," Chap 3, "The Underlying
Structure of Sex Segregation in Industrial Market Economies," and Chap 9, "The Past,
Present, and Future of Occupational Ghettos.")
April

Easter Break.

Begin reading Hochschilds Time Bind. Class resumes April 20.

None.

What is Work and

What is Family:
The History of
Family roles and
Divisions

Unit 4: Boundaires and Domains: Work and Family

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

18
April
20

Conception of housework; shift and part-time work as solutions to work/family balance

issues
WR 3: The Invention of Housework by Ruth Schwartz Cown
WR 39: Motherhood of the Night Shift by Anita Ilta Garey
WR 40: The Part-time Paradox: Time Norms, Professional Lives, Family, and Gender by
Cynthia Fuchs Epstein et al.
Recommended:
Hareven, Tamera K. 1982. Family Time and Industrial Time: The Relationship Between the
Family and Time and Work in a New England and Industrial Community. New York:
Cambridge University Press.

April
25
April
27

The Management
of Time among
Working Families

Details of Hochschilds study (methods, sample); culture of Amerco; family friendly

policies; what is the time bind

Case Studies of
Work/Family
Boundaries and
Balance

Underlying assumptions about The Family; comparison of different cases; critiques of

cases and analyses; dysfunctional families and traumatic childhoods

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Hochschild, chapters 1-4, About Time

Hochschild, chapters 5-9, From Executive Suite to Factory Floor

Notes for Next

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Recommended:
Epstein, Cynthia Fuchs, Carroll Seron, Bonnie Oglensky, and Robert Saute. 1999. The PartTime Paradox. Time Norms, Professional Life, Family, and Gender. New York, NY: Routledge.
Bailyn, Lotte. 1993. Breaking the Mold: Women, Men, and Time in the New Corporate World.
New York: Free Press.
Hewlett, Sylvia Ann and Carolyn Buck Luce. Off-Ramps and On-Ramps. Keeping
Talented Women on the Road to Success. Harvard Business Review 83(3): 43-46, 48, 50-54.
Blair-Loy, Mary. 2003. Competing Devotions: Career and Family among Women Executives.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Levine, James A. and Todd L. Pittinsky. 1997. Working Fathers: New Strategies for Balancing
Work and Family. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
May
2

May

More Case Studies

of Work/Family
Boundaries and
Balance

More case studies; compare middle class cases with working class cases
Hochschild, chapters 10-13, Executive Suite to Factory Floor continued

Pre-discussion
Paper.

Hochschild, chapters 14-16, Implications and Alternatives

Reading Day.

Project 3 Due.

Final Exam Period.

None.

May
5-10

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

15

Project 1
Changes in Occupational Demographics, 1920-2000
(Note: Based in part on Cynthia Andersons project description for Sociological Occupation Analysis, p. 8 of the
4th edition of The Sociology of Work and Occupations Syllabi set. I would recommend putting the Statistical
Abstracts that they need to look at on-reserve at the library.)
For this project, you will collect and interpret data on changes over time in the sex and composition of
two specific occupations, as well as the broad occupational category of the two occupations. You will
present the data in tables and compare and contrast the changes in the different occupations and the
occupational category.
Step 1: Choose the occupations and occupational category.
I want you to choose two occupations that are classified in the same broad category. Examples of broad
categories:
Managerial and professional specialty
Technical, sales, and administrative support
Service occupations, except private household and protective
Precision production, craft and repair
Operators, fabricators, and laborers
Farming, forestry, and fishing
For example, you might choose the category Farmers, forestry, and fishing and then within the
category, choose the occupations farm workers and farm managers. Or you might choose the
category Operators, fabricators, and laborers and choose the occupations printing press operators
and welders and cutters.
You want to make sure you can collect data for your occupations from all required years (see below). The
best way to do this is to look through the Statistical Abstracts from the various years you need and make
sure your occupations are listed in all the books. You also want to make sure that your broad category is
in each of the books, or else that you can make reasonable estimates of the category based on the data you
find.
Step 2: Define your occupations.
You will use the U.S. Census Bureau classification to define your occupations. This classification system is
called the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). The purpose of the SOC is to classify workers into
occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, and disseminating data. All workers are
classified into one of over 820 occupations according to their occupational definition. To facilitate
classification, occupations are combined to form 23 major and 98 minor groups of occupations requiring
similar job duties, skills, education, or experience. For each occupation that you choose, provided the
SOC classification number as well as the general description of what the occupation entails.
Step 3: Gather data on sex and race composition over time.
Using the information listed below, collect data on the sex composition of your occupations and broad
category from 1920, 1940, 1960, 1980, and 2000. You will have three sets of data: sex composition (% male
and % female) for Occupation 1, sex composition in Occupation 2, and sex composition for Broad
Occupational Category.
Using the information listed below, collect data on the racial composition of your occupations and broad
category from 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000. you will have three sets of data: racial composition (%
white and % non-white) for Occupation 1, racial composition for Occupation 2, and racial composition for
Broad Occupational Category.
You will come across several issues that are common in data collection, and you will need to figure out
how to deal with them. One issue will be: can you find the Broad Occupational Category data for all

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

16

years? If the data arent listed explicitly, can you figure them out using other data? Or will you simply
explain that the data werent available? Another issue will be, sometimes the racial data is simply
white/non-white and sometimes its more specific: white, black, Hispanic. Do you want to combine the
black and Hispanic data to make a general non-white category for all years, or do you want to list the
data is given? Its up to you.
Step 4: Create tables to communicate your data.
Once youre collected your data, you will need to figure out how to present them in a readable,
understandable form. You can use the sample tables below as basic models. You may want to work back
and forth between making the tables and writing up your analysis. For instance, you may want to make
your table as a certain way to highlight a difference you find interesting.
Step 5: Write-up your analysis.
Write-up your analysis of your data as a comparison of Occupation 1 to Occupation 2, and each
occupation to the Broad Occupational Category. How does each occupation and the broad category
change over time in terms of sex and race? Is each occupation representative of the broad category, or
different from the broad category? Why do you think these occupations have changed (or not changed)
over time? This write-up should be about 3-4 pages.
Evaluation:
This project is worth 15 points. 3 of the 15 points will be based on the clarity and accuracy of your writing
(grammar, spelling, etc.). I will evaluate the presentation of your data, the completeness of your data, and
the reasonableness of your analysis and ideas about why there have/have not been changes. You are not
expected to use all the course readings in your write-up, but if there are any relevant ideas or facts from
the readings, please use them and cite them properly.
Data Sources:
For the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), use website http://stats.bls.gov/soc
For the sex and race data, use the Statistical Abstracts of the United States
Sample Occupation, Classification, and Tables
Occupation: Barber/Hairdresser
Before 1960, called Barbers, beauticians, and manicurists
1960 and after, two separate categories: (1) Barbers, and (2) Hairdressers and Cosmetologists
***watch out for these kinds of re-categorizations, and try to pick up occupations that are the same for all
years!
Standard Occupational Classification
39-5011 Barbers: Provide barbering services, such as cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling hair,
trimming beards, or giving shaves.
39-5012 Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists: Provide beauty services, such as shampooing,
cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. May also apply makeup, dress wigs,
perform hair removal, and provide nail and skin care services.
Percentage of Barbers by Sex, 1920-2000 (selected years)
Year

Total workers

Number of
men

Percent men

Number of
women

Percent women

1920
1940
1960
1980
2000

195275
416031
446839
684000
829000

172977
209439
175216
157148
123986

88.6
50.3
39.2
23.0
15.0

22298
206592
271623
526852
705014

11.4
49.7
60.8
77.0
85.0

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

17

Percentage of Barbers by Race

Year

Total workers

Number of
whites

Percent white

Number of
non-whites

Percent nonwhite

1920
1940
1960
1980
2000

195275
416031
446839
684000
829000

395522
599205
613758
718921
646423

88.5
91.5
89.7
83.3
78.0

51317
55795
70242
144079
182577

11.5
8.5
10.3
16.7
22.0

In the tables, provide footnotes for anything you think a reader would want to know about your data. For
instance, if you combine racial categories into non-white, you should note what years separate the data
in Black and Hispanic categories.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

18

Project 2
Professional Work: Interview or Content Analysis
For this project, you will conduct either an interview with a professional worker or a content analysis of
information about professional training sites. Everyone will complete a common set of questions about
their profession of choice to supplement their empirical research. Possible professions to consider include:
physician, lawyer, executive, lawyer, engineer, scientist, dentist, architect, college professor (if your
profession is not on the list, see me for approval).
Part 1: Common Questions
Once you have selected your profession, you will need to collect some basic information about it. Use the
Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Collect the type of information provided in Leicht and Fennell Tables 2.2-2.6 for 2002-3. When you do
your write-up, provide this information first.
Part 2a: Interview
If you choose to conduct an interview with a professional worker, plan to set aside at least 45 minutes to
conduct your interview. Allow time to ask follow-up questions and to follow tangents as they come up.
You may write up specific interview questions to follow or you may want to have an outline of topics to
cover. Either way, be sure to address the following topics:
Required trainingwhere did you go to school? what kind of courses did you have to take, what
was training like, etc.
Work settingdescribe a typical day, a typical week
What has influenced your decision to become a professional
Professional networksare you a member of professional associations
What is your view of changes in the profession over time
What is your view of the future outlook of your profession
When you write-up the results of your interview, include the name of your interviewee and demographic
characteristics (approximate age, race, gender). Summarize by topic area your interviewees responses to
your questions, using direct quotes as appropriate. Do not write-up your results as a transcript (question,
answer, question, answer, etc.).
As a last step, compare your interviewees responses to the information about the profession given in the
Occupational Outlook Handbook. Does the Handbooks portrait of the profession match your interviewees? If
there are differences, discuss possible causes.
Part 2b: Content Analysis
If you choose to conduct a content analysis of professional training sites, you will need to choose a
profession with ranked schools in the publication Americas Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News and World
Report. From the list of schools, you will be comparing schools of high, medium, and low status. Use the
rankings to select two schools of high status (top 20), two schools of low status (bottom 20), and two
schools of medium status (in the middle). Gather what information you can about theses schools from the
magazine.
Next, go to each professional programs website and gather information about the schools. Provide each
website address in your write-up as a separate list or in your bibliography. On the website, look for
information about admissions requirements, program requirements to graduate, the curriculum/courses
offered, the presentation of the program (what are its specialties, what does it offer, what are its
advantages, how is it special), and any information about the profession itself (e.g. work settings, future
outlook).
Compare the six schools based on status. Do the high status schools present themselves differently than
the low or medium status schools? Are the low status schools different than the high and medium? Etc.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

19

Are there discernible differences in curriculum, requirements and information provided? Are there any
status cues given on the website (are they telling you they are high status, low status, etc.)? Describe any
other interesting comparisons you find.
As a last step, compare your content analysis to the information about the profession given in the
Occupational Outlook Handbook. Does the Handbooks portrait of the profession match what you see on the
training site web pages? If there are differences, discuss possible causes.
Evaluation:
This project is worth 15 percent of your grade. I am not exactly sure of the expected length but I think it
should be about 4-5 pages, exclusive of appendices or extra material. I will evaluate the presentation of
your data, the clarity and reasonableness of your analyses, and the completeness of your project.

Dr. Marti, Soc 230 Sociology of Work

20

Project 3
Occupational Analysis Research Paper
Choose an occupation that you would like to know more about. You can focus on a specific job within the
occupation or an occupation overall. If you choose a specific job, be sure to consider and discuss it in
relation to its broader occupational context.
Your research should include a definition of the job or occupation, what kind of work is involved, and a
brief historical overview (How and why did this job/occupation come about? What changes have
occurred and why?). Additionally, you should include the following items marked with an asterisk:
*Demographic composition (gender, race/ethnicity, age, etc.). Has it changed over time?
* General compensation data (salary/wage range) for this type of work.
* What you see as the one or two most important issues this job/occupation faces, and why.
* What strategy(ies) or solution(s) you propose or support; or, how would you reconstruct this
job/occupation for the future in relation to the issue(s) you raise?
After researching your job/occupation, you should be able to respond to the following questions. They
are a guide to help you develop a comprehensive understanding. However, for your paper, select only
those items that are relevant to the key issue(s) or focus you want to address. Dont try to address all of
these in your paper.
How would Marx characterize this job/occupation? What issues does that raise?
What kind of education or training is normal? Has this changed over time? How?
How does one get into this job/occupation? What are the mobility prospects?
Is this job/occupation skilled or not? Evidence of deskilling?
Is this job/occupation unionized or not? Why or why not?
To whom is this job/occupation responsible? Closely supervised or not? How much autonomy?
What time commitment does this job/occupation take? Flexibility in scheduling?
How compatible is this job/occupation with family, childcare responsibilities? Issues?
How conductive to nontraditional work patterns or arrangements is this job/occupation?
Are there health or safety issues that affect this job/occupation or those who hold it?
Which issues related to this job/occupation are related to work environment, and which are
related to social relationships?
Can a worker make a reasonable living? If not, discuss. What other compensation issues arise?
What are the worker supply and demand issues, in the past and today?
Has the workforce changed in any major way (e.g. demographics, education, etc.)?
Is this job/occupation gendered? How? Or why not?
Which inequalities are related to this job/occupation? (e.g. discrimination, harassment, tokenism,
exploitation, abusive practices, systemic advantages, disadvantages)?
How has technology affected this job/occupation over time?
Is this job/occupation professionalizing or deprofessionalizing?
Has this job/occupation been affected by globalization? Is it likely to be in the future?
What are the present job/occupational trends for the future?
Use your course readings and lecture material where relevant to help you discuss the topics or issues you
have chosen. You will need to do some outside reading on your job/occupation. How many sources you
need depends on what issues(s) you choose to cover, and how comprehensive the sources are. Be sure to
cite whatever sources you use.
If you know someone who currently is in this job or occupation, or once was, you are welcome to talk
with her/him, as an interview, and use that as part of your research data. Do not identify the individual
in any recognizable way when taking notes or using data in your paper (unless this person holds public
office). All individuals should be over age 18, and their responses should not put them at risk of criminal
or civil liability, or affect their employment. If you are observing work, be sure to get permission from the

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firm as well as the individual, unless it is in a public place. Be sure to exclude identifying characteristics
in your notes.
In your paper, you should at some point compare your job/occupation with another occupation. What
similarities or differences are there in relation to the issue(s) you are discussing? You will not be expected
to do more than brief outside reading on a second occupationjust enough to give you the ability to
make an informed comparisons. You also can develop a comparative perspective by interviewing
another student who is studying a different occupation. Your written work should be your own,
however.
Deadlines
Research proposal:
Identify the job or occupation you will be studying and what interests you about it, in relation to the
sociology of work. Think of at least one substantive issue in relation to this job or occupation that you
would like to investigate in some depth, and briefly explain why you think that it is important or
interesting. What do you see as the problem, or core concern? Also, briefly identify two or three sources
of information or data that will help you investigate this issue, as well as give an overview of the job or
occupation. For interviews, do not give the names of individuals. Your proposal should be no more than
one page double spaced, and will be evaluated pass/fail. Proposal represents 5% of course grade. Due:.
Research paper:
Your paper should be 5-6 pages, double-spaced (the bibliography does not count against the count limit).
Paper represents 15% of course grade.
Evaluation objective: To see how well you can apply course concepts and material to analyze key topics
or issues in relation to a job and its occupational context, or to an occupation overall.

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