The Division of Labor in Society

Customer Reviews:

Classic..........2007-01-12

If you are a) an undergrad. in sociology, economy, or political science, you must have this for grad. school; b) a grad. student in sociology and unsure of its application, what theory is, or what the masters talked about, you must have it; and c) a theory freak like myself, a must for your collection (but you already knew that!). This book is a classic in sociology, and while Durkheim recanted much of what he said later in his career, his ecological model for the evolution of society is still relevant today. Furthermore, his discussion of the integrative effects of the Division of Labor are unmatched, and while this mechanism is probably not the only one of its kind, it is still important especially in a postindustrial society that is increasingly compartementalized...

The starting point.......2002-11-10

A classic in many ways, the Division of Labor is a great starting point for sociology - not because it's terribly sexy or interesting or even correct, but because it begins to lay out what sociology can do.

A founding block of Sociological Theory.......2000-05-25

... The Halls translation is quite a good one. If we examine the Halls text and compare it to the "revisions" that the reviewer has posed, we find that the differences are not merely aesthetic, they are substantive. They change the meaning of the sentence, and therefore the nature and meaning of Durkheim's argument.

I think that this Durkheim's best work. As a warning, it is not easy; perhaps this is where the difficulty with the translation lies. But for anyone interested in sociological theory, this book is essential reading. The translation is the best out there.

Comment.......1999-09-11

... The Coser edition of THE DIVISION OF LABOUR is commonly regarded as the best english translation edition.

An important work, marred by an inept translation........1999-02-09

Durkheim's book must not be a big seller. This would explain why a new, better translation hasn't appeared. This present translation is, to put it bluntly, horrible. This is really a shame, as Durkheim's thesis is quite compelling (if not flawed).

On average, each page of text is missing about two dozen commas.

One example:

"Without the necessary act of satisfaction[,] what is called the moral consciousness could not be preserved."

Then there are the pedantic (and barely readable) constructions such as the following.

Halls's version:

"By this is explained why some acts have so frequently been held to be criminal..."

Revised:

"This explains why some acts have so frequently been held to be criminal..."?

Halls's version:

"Undoubtedly most of these are not harmful, for if they were, in such conditions the individual could not live."

Revised:

"Undoubtedly, most of these are not harmful; if they were, the individual could not live."

Finally, there are sentences that are so obfuscatory, I don't know how to fix them:

Book Description

As the current recession ends, many workers will not be returning to the jobs they once held--those jobs are gone. In The New Division of Labor, Frank Levy and Richard Murnane show how computers are changing the employment landscape and how the right kinds of education can ease the transition to the new job market.

The book tells stories of people at work--a high-end financial advisor, a customer service representative, a pair of successful chefs, a cardiologist, an automotive mechanic, the author Victor Hugo, floor traders in a London financial exchange. The authors merge these stories with insights from cognitive science, computer science, and economics to show how computers are enhancing productivity in many jobs even as they eliminate other jobs--both directly and by sending work offshore. At greatest risk are jobs that can be expressed in programmable rules--blue collar, clerical, and similar work that requires moderate skills and used to pay middle-class wages. The loss of these jobs leaves a growing division between those who can and cannot earn a good living in the computerized economy. Left unchecked, the division threatens the nation's democratic institutions.

The nation's challenge is to recognize this division and to prepare the population for the high-wage/high-skilled jobs that are rapidly growing in number--jobs involving extensive problem solving and interpersonal communication. Using detailed examples--a second grade classroom, an IBM managerial training program, Cisco Networking Academies--the authors describe how these skills can be taught and how our adjustment to the computerized workplace can begin in earnest.

Customer Reviews:

Best book on workforce in a long time........2007-05-14

If you only read one book this year, read this book. It will change the way you think about work, education and the global economy. Murnane and Levy ask two fundamental questions: What do computers do better than people? (A: rules-based thinking) What do people do better than computers? (A: pattern recognition)

Much of the work of the industrial economy was rules-based, both on the assembly line and in the manager's office. Most of the work in the innovation economy is based on pattern recognition, including what Murnane and Levy call expert thinking and complex communication. Their research shows that these are the skills for which demand is growing in the economy at all rungs of the job ladder.

I've found their argument so compelling that I have purchased copies of the book for most of the top policy-makers in my home state of Rhode Island. The ideas in the book are starting to shape the discussion of school reform and workforce development here. In particular, we are concerned that our school system, like those in every other state, is still producing labor for a rules-based industrial economy that no longer exists. While it's possible to absorb rules-based thinking from a book or a lecture, it's difficult to teach pattern recognition skills in a pure classroom setting. You learn to recognize patterns by actually doing it the company of someone who is already very good at it. It's the essence of good experiential learning and mentoring, which can no longer be thought of as a luxury in the education system. If we want to produce the workforce we need for an innovation economy, we'll need to make experiential learning a part of every K-12 and college experience.

A most insightful analysis of the historical labor data. .......2004-11-28

This is a very short and easy to read book. Yet, it is very informative and insightful. I have read many books covering the same theme written by Peter Drucker, John Naisbitt, Robert Reich, and Lester Thurow among other visionaries and economists. This one is the best on the subject for two reasons. The two authors studied the historical data much more extensively than the others. Also, this book is more focused. The authors did not get sidetracked by many related economic and political issues.

The authors extensive research dispels thoroughly the notion that computerization is bad for employment. To the contrary, computerization has increased both the quantity and quality of jobs.

The authors studied in detail labor trends over the past 40 years to support their conclusion. They uncovered the prescient work of Herbert Simon, who wrote an essay in the 1960s on the change in labor mix with the advent of technologies. The authors documented that for the most part Simon was correct. Due to computerization, the labor mix was going to change materially over the next several decades tilted towards a greater concentration of jobs associated with greater complexity in terms of critical thinking and judgment.

Just as Simon predicted, there is today a far greater percentage of the population involved in complex jobs associated with an intense critical thinking component. Such jobs include managers, professionals, technicians, and many sales related activities. By the same token, there is a far smaller percentage of the population engaged in blue collar routine work.

As mentioned, just as the quality of jobs (greater complexity) has improved immensely during the past several decades, so as the quantity. Between 1969 and 2000, the labor force grew by a staggering 63% from 83 million to 135 million. And, this surge in labor occurred during the most intense computerization era.

If we just observe the change in our own working lives, we can confirm that our job functions have changed dramatically for the better. We all use computers with increasingly powerful hardware that can handle increasingly complex software. In turn, the software replaces many of the routine components of our jobs. It also gives us quick access to a math level which would have been accessible only to PhDs not long ago. I don't think any of us would readily turn the clock back on computerization regarding our specific jobs. The authors will convince you the same is true at the macroeconomic level.

Academic, dry, and mildly digressive.......2004-10-05

I saw the authors of this book interviewed on the Newshour with Jim Lehrer and immediately ordered it. I found a book that made its central points within 2-3 chapters, but it continued to illustrate those points ad nauseum in subsequent chapters. The examples in the book of methods and challenges of teaching expert thinking and complex communications are too detailed, in that the depth reached in the examples does a disservice to the key points of the book. Ironically, this book could be even shorter than its 157 pages.

The central points of this book are very basic, and anyone who works with technology for a living will find it almost too basic to bother with. One valuable part of the book deals with the trends of income and job availability as related to increases in the use of computing; it's nice to see that subject addressed succinctly. If I were teaching a class on IT or evolution in technology, I would assign select readings from this book to illustrate the connections between what people do better than computers and vice-versa, income, skill acquisition, and historical trends.

Effortless Learning.......2004-09-07

A wonderful quick read, a painless injection of knowledge, letting those of us who never got beyond Econ 1-a understand the revolutionary impact of computers on American society. Not all a bed of roses -- we face the troublesome specter of our own version of Benjamin Disraelli's Victorian "two nations,"
with a growing gap between those at the bottom and the rest of society.

A Good Read!.......2004-07-28

This excellent short book has implications far beyond its titular subject. Although ostensibly about the effect of computers on labor, it provides a model for thinking in economically rational terms about any kind of innovation that offers lower costs or greater efficiency. In a nutshell, scaremongers tend to exaggerate the threats and underestimate the benefits of such innovations. Some prognosticators, for example, predicted massive unemployment, poverty and social unrest due to employment disruptions stemming from computers. Why? Because computers could do many jobs, especially automated ones, faster and better. Something like the classical economic notion of comparative advantage is at work: computers and people should each do what they are good at. On the other hand, the authors analyze how innovation leaves many low-level, unskilled workers behind, and explain how and why the haves must make reasonable, just provisions for the have-nots. We believe that any reader who appreciates lucid analysis and clear prose will enjoy this book, and will gain understanding and perspective.

Gender at Work in Economic Life (Society for Economic Anthropology Monographs, V. 20.)

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Gedenr and Economics

Gender at Work in Economic Life (Society for Economic Anthropology Monographs, V. 20.)
Gracia Clark
Manufacturer: AltaMira Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0759102465

Book Description

This new volume from SEA illuminates the importance of gender as a frame of reference in the study of economic life. The contributors are economic anthropologists who consider the role of gender and work in a cross-cultural context, examining issues of: historical change, the construction of globalization, household authority and entitlement, and entrepreneurship and autonomy. The book will be a valuable resource for researchers in anthropology and in the related fields of economics, sociology of work, gender studies, women's studies, and economic development.

Customer Reviews:

Gedenr and Economics.......2007-08-04

If you wish to understand the roles of gender, economics, and anthropology, I suggest this book as your guide. Many cultures and regions of the world are studied and it is presented in an interesting enough manner that I would actually read this outside the classroom. The role of women is usually overlooked, so I did enjoy reading this in order to understand how different cultures view and treat the work of women; overall a great find and helped me write many reports during my undergrad years as an anthro major.

Employment and the Family: The Reconfiguration of Work and Family Life in Contemporary Societies

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Employment and the Family: The Reconfiguration of Work and Family Life in Contemporary Societies
Rosemary Crompton
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Workplace | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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The Time Divide: Work, Family, and Gender Inequality (The Family and Public Policy)

ASIN: 0521600758

Book Description

Rates of employment amongst mothers of young children have risen rapidly in recent years. Attitudes to gender roles have changed, and both employers and governments have had to adjust to new realities. But some argue that recent changes in employment relations are making work more family 'unfriendly'. What are the real consequences of change? Rosemary Crompton explores the origins and background of this radical shift in the gendered division of labour. Topics covered include the changing attitudes to gender roles and family life, the gendered organisational context, and recent changes in employment relations and their impact on work-life articulation. A comparative analysis of Britain, France, Norway, Finland, the United States and Portugal provides an assessment of the varying impact of state policies, and the changing domestic division of labour. Crompton draws on original research and situates her findings within contemporary theoretical and empirical debates.

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Gender and Technology: A Reader

Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0801872596

Book Description

For most of human experience, certainly of late, the artifacts of technological civilization have become closely associated with gender, sometimes for physiological reasons (brassieres or condoms, for example) but more often because of social and cultural factors, both obvious and obscure. Because these stereotypes necessarily have economic, social, and political consequences, understanding how gender shapes the ways we view and use technology -- and how technology shapes our concept of gender -- has emerged as a matter of serious scholarly importance. Gender and Technology brings together leading historians of technology to explore this entwined and reciprocal relationship, focusing on the tools (cars, typewriters, computers, vibrators), industries (dressmaking, steam laundering, cigar making, meat packing) and places (factories, offices, homes) of North America between 1850 and 1950. Together, these essays reveal the ways in which technology and gender -- far from being essential, immutable categories -- develop historically as social constructions.

Contributors: Patricia Cooper, University of Kentucky; Paul N. Edwards, University of Michigan; Wendy Gamber, Indiana University; Carolyn M. Goldstein, Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell, Massachusetts; Rebecca Herzig, Bates College; Roger Horowitz, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware; Ronald R. Kline, Cornell University; Jennifer Light, Northwestern University; Rachel P. Maines, Cornell University's Hotel School Library; Judith A. McGaw; Joy Parr, Simon Fraser University.

Beyond Mechanization: Work and Technology in a Postindustrial Age

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Beyond Mechanization: Work and Technology in a Postindustrial Age
Larry Hirschhorn
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Human skill and judgment are needed now more than ever to effectively run today's complex computerized production systems. In this thought-provoking study of work, worker, and machine in the postindustrial age, Hirschhorn points out that factories will become places of learning where the worker must be able to diagnose and solve an array of problems generated by error-prone machine systems.

With numerous examples he shows that the new technology can fail in unexpected ways and that human judgment has become increasingly important. The new technology also blurs the line between managing and working, requiring workers - craftsmen, machine operators, or engineers - to become generalists who will have to deal with unstructured and open-ended problems. Hirschhorn links theory to the shop floor, examining such issues as the role of unions and the economics of the job shop and describes a new type of factory setting where supervisors are teachers and workers are organized into teams paid according to how much they have learned.

Larry Hirschhorn is Senior Researcher, Management and Behavioral Science Center, University of Pennsylvania.

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The Division of Labor in Society
Emile Durkheim
Manufacturer: The Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUQRIQ

Women and Development: The Sexual Division of Labor in Rural Societies

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Women and Development: The Sexual Division of Labor in Rural Societies

Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0275916375

Book Description

This book focuses on the role of women in the productive structures of a diverse group of third world countries, including India, Peru, Nigeria, Mexico, Singapore, Ethiopia, and China. The product of research sponsored by the International Labour Organization's Programme on Rural Women, Women and Development deals with the specifics of rural women's situations and sets a basis for formulating policies to give direction to their struggle. The nine chapters combine description with analysis, presenting women's work in the context of a world systems perspective. The book emphasizes that rural women, although they appear isolated in homes and villages, are in fact constantly influenced by the world's economic trends.

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The Division of Labor in Society
DURKHEIM (Emile)
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CMCJP

Academic Work: The Changing Labour Process in Higer Education (Society for Research into Higher Education)

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Academic Work: The Changing Labour Process in Higer Education (Society for Research into Higher Education)

Manufacturer: Society for Research Into Higher Education &
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

With forty well structured and easy to follow topics to choose from, each workbook has a wide range of case studies, questions and activities to meet both an individual or organization's training needs. Whether studying for an ILM qualification or looking to enhance the skills of your employees, Super Series provides essential solutions, frameworks and techniques to support management and leadership development.

*Developed by the ILM to support their Level 3 Introductory Certificate and Certificate in First Line Management
*Well-structured and easy to follow
*Fully revised and updated

Book Description

J. Carlos Santamarina, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA in collaboration with Katherine A. Klein, University of Toronto, Canada; Moheb A. Fam, Cairo University, Egypt

Soils are unique materials. Analogous to all other particulate materials, their properties depend on environmental parameters, such as confinement and fluid characteristics. While their behavior is complex, simple micromechanical analyses at the particle level provide unparalleled insight. Furthermore, elastic and electromagnetic waves can be effectively used to gain complementary information about the particulate medium, leading to unique possibilities for studies in engineering and science, including field applications for site assessment and process monitoring.

This book is divided into five parts. The first part dwells on the problem of scale and includes a general introduction to materials. In the second part, the behavior of particulate materials is reviewed, with emphasis on the microscale interpretation of macroscale behavior. Fundamental differences between fine and coarse particulate materials are highlighted. The third and fourth parts center on the propagation of mechanical and electromagnetic waves in particulate materials, addressing phenomena such as stiffness, polarization and losses. These two units include laboratory techniques to measure the elastic and electromagnetic spectral response of particulate materials, and an extensive compilation of experimental data. Finally, the fifth part applies elastic and electromagnetic waves to monitoring process in soils.

Emphasis is placed on clear, simple analyses and explanations of complex physical phenomena, making this book ideal for self-study. Furthermore, no other book provides such an in-depth description of soils and their behavior and the interaction of elastic and electromagnetic waves and particulate materials (including material data and experimental methods). Thus, this is an invaluable reference for postgraduates, research scientists and practitioners in geotechnical, civil and environmental engineering, as well as scientists in related areas such as physics, geophysics and materials science.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2003-10-26

A complete review of advanced soil mechanics and soils and waves. Very dense information. Recommended for advanced studies.

Excellent book.......2001-06-26

This book has two main sections. One on soil behavior, the other on wave propagation through soils. The section on soil behavior is excellent. The clarity is crisp. It provides a true scientific description of soil behavior, highlighting the microscale: an approach to the study of soils that is hard to find (as complete) in other books. I truly recommend this book. It provides answers to so many questions, and with such conciseness and clarity!

Book Description

Ideas and Methods of Supersymmetry and Supergravity: Or a Walk Through Superspace provides a comprehensive, detailed, and self-contained account of four dimensional simple supersymmetry and supergravity. Throughout the book, the authors cultivate their material in detail with calculations and full discussions of the fundamental ideas and motivations. They develop the subject in its superfield formulations but where appropriate for illustration, analogy, and comparison with conventional field theory, they use the component formulation. The book discusses many subjects that, until now, can only be found in the research literature. In addition, it presents a plethora of new results. Combining classical and quantum field theory with group theory, differential geometry, and algebra, the book begins with a solid mathematical background that is used in the rest of the book. The next chapter covers algebraic aspects of supersymmetry and the concepts of superspace and superfield. In the following chapters, the book presents classical and quantum superfield theory and the superfield formulation of supergravity. A synthesis of results and methods developed in the book, the final chapter concludes with the theory of effective action in curved superspaces. After studying this book, readers should be well prepared to pursue independent research in any area of supersymmetry and supergravity. It will be an indispensable source of reference for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral faculty, and researchers involved in quantum field theory, high energy physics, gravity theory, mathematical physics, and applied mathematics.

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