This book looks at the history of work and the meanings that are attached to it over time. Taking as its basis a number of international surveys and interviews conducted in Europe, the authors consider the significance of work for Europeans today.
Over the years the meaning of work has changed. It has become more highly diversified, and it is today invested with high expectations that conflict with organisational developments and the changing nature of the labour market. The authors use a generational perspective to explore whether it is possible to reconcile the contemporary “ethos” of work, especially with regards to women and young people, with organisations that are increasingly under pressure to be profitable and productive.
Reinventing Work in Europe will be of interest to scholars and students in the areas of sociology of work, employment and organizations, labour studies, digital economy, and political economy.
Table of Content
Introduction.- 1. A History of the Value accorded to Work.- 2. The Immense Expectations attached to Work.- 3. The Disappointment of Expectations as a Result of the Transformation of Work.- 4. The Meaning of Work through the Lens of Generational Difference.- 5. The Coexistence of Generations at Work.
About the author
Dominique Méda is Professor at the University of Paris-Dauphine, France. She is also Director of IRISSO, an interdisciplinary social science research institute, and Director of the Chair of “Ecological Reconversion, Work, Employment and Social Policies” at the College d’études mondiales, Paris, France. Her research interests include work, social policies and sustainable development.
Patricia Vendramin is Professor of Sociology in the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. She is also Director of the FOPES (Open Faculty in Social and Economic Policies) and of the Chair of “Labour-University”, both in the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Her research interests relate to work and employment issues.
