Sociology: work & labour
Organizing Women
Gender Equality Policies in French and British Trade Unions
This book explores the representation of women’s interests in the world of work across 4 trade unions in France and the UK. Drawing on case studies, it unveils the social, organisational and political conditions that contribute to the reproduction of gender inequalities or, on the contrary, allow the promotion of equality.
The Flexibility Paradox
Why Flexible Working Leads to (Self-)Exploitation
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, flexible working has become the norm for many workers. This volume examines flexible working using data from 30 European countries and drawing on studies conducted in Australia, the US and India
Faces of Precarity
Critical Perspectives on Work, Subjectivities and Struggles
The word ‘precarity’ is widely used when discussing work, employment or social classes. However, there is no consensus on the precise meaning of the term or how it should best be used to explore social changes. This international and interdisciplinary book offers a distinctive and critical perspective approach to an important topic.
Highly Discriminating
Why the City Isn’t Fair and Diversity Doesn’t Work
Written by a leading expert, this book examines equality issues in the City of London, arguing that social hiring practices in the City favour affluent applicants, and calls for a policy shift at the organisational and governmental levels.
Older Workers in Transition
European Experiences in a Neoliberal Era
This collection explores a variety of job transitions for older people, including voluntary job moves, coming out of unemployment, temporary labour and passages into retirement. Each chapter hears the voices of older workers and employers, and is positioned within the context of various European countries, with important lessons for future policy.
Politics of the Gift
Towards a Convivial Society
Drawing on French sociologist Marcel Mauss' influential theory of 'the gift', this book shows that trust is the only glue that holds societies together, and people are giving beings and they who can cooperate for the benefit of all when the logic of maximizing utility personal gain in capitalism is broken.
The EU Migrant Generation in Asia
Middle-Class Aspirations in Asian Global Cities
Drawing on a comparative study with individuals who migrated to Singapore and Tokyo in 2010s, this book demonstrates how migration to Asian business centres has become an alternative to a middle-class life in Europe and how the perceived insecurities of life in the crisis-ridden EU result in these migrants’ prolonged stay in Asia.
The Reformation of Welfare
The New Faith of the Labour Market
Inspired by ideas from economic theology, this provocative book uncovers deep-rooted religious concepts and shows how they continue to influence contemporary views of work and unemployment.
Labour Conflicts in the Digital Age
A Comparative Perspective
This book offers a complete view of the new labour conflicts in the platform economy. Through case studies in advanced economies in Europe and the US and with an original approach that combines social movement studies and industrial relations, it provides a radical interpretation on the changing nature of worker movements in the digital age.
Affective Capitalism in Academia
Revealing Public Secrets
Drawing on affect theory and research on academic capitalism and 11 international case studies, this book examines the contemporary crisis of universities, from the coloniality of academic capitalism to performance management and the experience of being performance-managed.
Migrants and Refugees in Europe
Work Integration in Comparative Perspective
EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. This book explores the labour market integration of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers across seven European countries. It investigates how legal, political, social and personal circumstances combine to determine the work trajectory for migrants who choose Europe as their home.
Welfare That Works for Women?
Mothers’ Experiences of the Conditionality within Universal Credit
This book analyses fresh empirical evidence which demonstrates the gendered impacts of the new conditionality regime within Universal Credit. Drawing on in-depth interviews with mothers, it offers a compelling narrative and policy recommendations to make the social citizenship framework in the UK more inclusive of women.