Work and Employment Careers in Comparative Perspective

Sociologists consider the range of paid and unpaid work conducted in modern societies as part of "defining experiences of individual identity, group life, and, indeed, societies as a whole" (Smith 2006, p. 676). As paid work is generally more highly valued and rewarded than unpaid work, the ways in which different kinds of work are organized within a society and over the life course impact almost all other areas of sociological inquiry, including persistence and change in social inequalities, gender relations and family life (ibid.). The course will provide an introduction to the main concepts and methods currently used to study paid work, i.e. employment careers, focusing on the role of labour markets and their intersections with other features of the welfare state. Case studies and comparative research from Europe and the US will be used to illustrate historical developments and current debates.

Hinweise: Online only

Lernziele: Course goals include: gaining knowledge of key concepts, theories and empirical approaches to labour market research and concepts of work.