The Palgrave Handbook of the Sociology of Work in Europe

This book explores the key conceptual features of the development of the Sociology of Work (SoW) in Europe since 1945, using eleven country case studies. An original contribution to our understanding of the trajectory of the SoW, the chapters map the current state of the theoretical background of the sub-discipline's development to broader socio-political and economic changes, traced across a heterogeneous set of national contexts. Different definitions of the SoW in each country often reflect variations in the focus of analysis, and these chapters link the subject definition and focus to other social science disciplines, the state, as well as social class interests and ideologies. The book contends that the ways in which the sub-discipline makes sense of changes in work is itself a response to the type of society in which the sub-discipline is practiced, whether in the post-war social democratic West, the Soviet East, or today's societies, dominated by variant forms of neo-liberalism. It will be of use to scholars and students interested in the transnational history of the discipline of sociology, with a specific focus on the nexus between the sociology of labour, ideology, economics and politics.-- Provided by publisher Preface 5 Contents 7 Contributors 9 Introduction 11 1 Towards a Sociology of the Sociology of Work in the UK Since 1945: The Myth of the Golden Age 41 Introduction: Scope and Limitations 41 Where and What Is the Sociology of Work: The Notion of Spread 46 Three Periods in the Development of Post-war Capitalism and the Sociology of Work 53 1945–1975 55 1975–1990s 61 1990s–2000s 66 Discussion 73 Conclusion 76 Bibliography 79 2 The Sociology of Work in France 85 Emergence and Maturation of the Sociology of Work (1945–1975) 85 The Founders of the Sociology of Work 86 Friedmann and the Institut Des Sciences Sociales Du Travail 87 Pierre Naville and the Centre d’Etudes Sociologiques 90 Interpreting the Conditions That Gave Birth to the Sociology of Work 91 From a Crisis of Simple Work to a “Corporation Sociology” (1975–1990) 95 A Crisis of Simple Work 96 The Left in Power in France: From Technological Investment to Participation 97 A Massive Investment in Production Technology 99 From Employee Expression to Quality Circles 100 From the Sociology of the Corporation to the Professionalisation of Sociology 102 Sociology of the Corporation 102 The Professionalisation of Sociology 104 Lean Production, Precarious Employment and the Sociology of Services (1990–2015) 105 Post-Fordian Productive Reconfigurations 105 Erosion of the Fordian Norm of Employment and the Sociologies of Precarity 107 Tertiarisation of Activities and Changing Sociological Paradigms 109 Conclusion 111 Bibliography 113 3 Sociology of Work in Germany 120 Introduction 120 The Fordist Period: Reconstruction and Economic Miracle (1945–1975) 122 The Re-foundation of Sociology After World War Two 122 The Resurgence of Social Conflict and Critical Theory 128 The Transformation Period: Post-Fordist Uncertainties (1975–1990) 132 Where to Go After Fordism? 132 New Production Concepts, Lean Production and Systemic Rationalisation 136 Tertiarisation, Humanisation and Micro-politics 139 Subjectivation and Gender 141 Re-unification and Globalisation (1990–2015) 143 Post-Fordism, Post-industrialism or Knowledge Society? 143 Decentralisation, Marketisation, Networks and Subjectivation 147 Financialisation 151 Working in the Twenty-First Century 152 References 154 4 Labour Sociology in Italy: Resisting Erosion Through Transformation and Dynamism 164 Introduction 164 Background: Labour Relations in Italy After the Second World War 167 Developments in the Sociology of Work in Italy 169 Italian Sociology Between Unification and Idealism: Before the Second World War 169 Themes and Developments in Italian Sociology in the Post-war Period (1945–1950s) 171 Dynamism in the Italian Sociology of Work 174 Work at the Shopfloor (1960–1975) 174 From Conflict Towards Consent-Based Relationships (1975–1980) 176 From the Shopfloor to Labour Markets and Employment Relations (1980s–2000s) 177 Studies of Gender, Family and Migration (1980s–2000s) 180 Conclusions 185 References 185 5 The Politics of Sociology and the Challenges of Transitions, Formalisation and Fragmentation: The Study of Work and Employment in Spain 191 Introduction 191 Hard Times: Studying Work in an Authoritarian Context 193 Breaches in the Wall: The Steady Emergence of More Independent Studies of Work During the Late 1970s and Early 1980s 195 Understanding and Framing Labour Struggle After Franco: The Uneven Emergence of a Democratic Sociology of Work During the 1980s 197 The Study of Regulation and Labour in the 1980s and 1990s: The Emergent Dominance of the Anglo-Saxon Paradigm 202 The Impact of Labour Fragmentation and Precariousness: The Study of Labour Markets 204 Engaging the ‘Outsiders’: Gender, Youth and Race in the Study of Work Since 2000 206 The Problem of Methods and Boundaries: The New Neo-imperialism in the Study of Work and the Struggle Around Methods 208 Context, Politics and Challenges: The Curious Impact and Reminder of Precarious Existence 210 Bibliography 212 6 Swedish Sociology of Work 218 Introduction 218 The Issue of Periodisation 220 The Early Sociology of Work 222 New Currents—and Reassessments 226 In Calmer Water—Differentiation and Specialisation 235 Workplace Studies 236 The Future of Work and Commitment to Work 240 Flexibility Issues 242 Gender and Ethnicity 246 Demand-Control, Stress and Well-Being 247 Educational Levels and Demands for Skills 249 Trade Unionism 249 Conclusion 251 References 252 7 The Sociology of Work in Finland 261 Introduction 261 Development of the Welfare State (1945–1980s) 263 Socio-economic and Political Background 263 An Infrastructure for Sociological Research Takes Shape 264 Main Directions of Research and Prominent Persons and Projects 267 Rise of the Competition State (Late 1980s–Present) 271 Socio-economic and Political Background 271 Infrastructure for Research 273 Main Directions of Research and Prominent Persons and Projects 277 Summary and Conclusion 281 References 283 8 Sociology of Work in Poland 289 Introduction 289 Socio-economic and Political Conditions and Dominant Paradigms in State Socialism 292 The Transformation Phase of the Sociology of Work (1981–2004) 299 The Internationalisation/Globalisation Period (2004–Present) 305 Conclusions 311 Literature 313 9 Sociology of Work in Hungary 322 Introduction 322 Scholarship Under State Socialism 324 The Re-establishment of the Field of Sociology 324 The Rise of the Second Economy and Intellectual Partnership with Economists 330 Topics and Scholarly Alliances During Reformed Socialism of the 1980s 332 Labour Sociology During State Socialism: Contribution and Location 336 Post-Socialist Inquiries 337 Historical Vistas and the Meaning of Systemic Changes 337 Explaining Transformations in Labour Relations 339 Debates on the Concept of Class and a New Labour History 341 The Production of Flexible Workers, the Precariat and the Marginalized 345 Conclusions: Does Hungarian Scholarship Show an Idiosyncratic Path in the Sociology of Work? 349 References 351 10 Sociology of Work in Bulgaria 357 Introduction 357 The Party-State-Led Sociological Science in the Context of Socialist Modernization 359 The State of the Play of Sociology in Communist Bulgaria 359 Sociology of Work: Fundamental Research and Applied Science 361 The SoW After 1989: Academic Freedom, but Dependence on External Resources 366 The Changing Sociology in the Framework of the Societal Change 366 The Sociology of Work: From Marginalization Towards Embeddedness in European Research Traditions 370 Conclusion 376 References 377 11 Sociological Approaches to Work in Romania Since 1945 381 Introduction 381 The Transformation of Work in Socialist Romania 385 Sociology and Urban Development 391 Sociology and Organizational Innovation 397 Assessing Work in Post-socialism 400 The Sociology of Work Ethics 402 Conclusion 406 References 409 Conclusion: The Editors and the Authors 418 Index 432 Front Matter ....Pages i-xl Towards a Sociology of the Sociology of Work in the UK Since 1945: The Myth of the Golden Age (Carol Stephenson, Paul Stewart, David Wray)....Pages 1-44 The Sociology of Work in France (Guillaume Tiffon, Jean-Pierre Durand)....Pages 45-79 Sociology of Work in Germany (Holm-Detlev Köhler)....Pages 81-124 Labour Sociology in Italy: Resisting Erosion Through Transformation and Dynamism (Valeria Pulignano)....Pages 125-151 The Politics of Sociology and the Challenges of Transitions, Formalisation and Fragmentation: The Study of Work and Employment in Spain (Miguel Martínez Lucio, Carlos J. Fernández Rodríguez)....Pages 153-179 Swedish Sociology of Work (Bengt Furåker)....Pages 181-223 The Sociology of Work in Finland (Markku Sippola, Tuomo Alasoini)....Pages 225-252 Sociology of Work in Poland (Adam Mrozowicki)....Pages 253-285 Sociology of Work in Hungary (Violetta Zentai)....Pages 287-321 Sociology of Work in Bulgaria (Vassil Kirov)....Pages 323-346 Sociological Approaches to Work in Romania Since 1945 (Norbert Petrovici, Florin Faje)....Pages 347-383 Back Matter ....Pages 385-440