Social Theory at Work

Social Theory at Work introduces students to a range of theories on working, participation in the economy, and the reproduction of
power and privilege in the labor market. Students read theoretical texts from across the social sciences, engaging with critical concepts such as labor alienation, social reproduction, and class conflict to help them analyze the functions of the contemporary workplace as well as broader systems for the production of wealth and the reproduction of inequality. These theoretical perspectives are then applied to narrative accounts of participation in the workforce, illuminating cultural, social, social psychological, structural, and economic aspects of work through a critical lens. Students will also discover and manipulate quantitative data on
occupations and employment trends to explore divisions in the labor market and examine the effects of unionization, privatization, and legislative interventions into workplace law.