Trace the history of work up to the preindustrial times.

INTRODUCTION

Sociology is a resource which people can use to understand better how different social works. Work
is important element in occupying, directing and structuring individuals’ time. Sociology of work
attempts to know the conditions under which people work. It is also concerned with the changing
needs of the society and how it effect work being done .As a new subject of industrial sociology, it
applies sociological principle to study of economic structures.

WORK
Work refers to the two main aspects in the sociological definitions
-task related aspect of the activities that is any kind of activities which has certain task to do,
-Part played by the way in which people make their living from the activities basically it is based on
economy dimension of work where we are trying to be engaged in certain kind of activities which
will in returns give us the means or the way in which we would actually structure are everyday
life on that basis it becomes criteria of an organising society.
Using the two aspects the definition of work is the carrying out of tasks which enables people to
make a living within the socio economic context in which they are located .work is carried out for
both monetary advantage as well as non- monetary refunds in general assumption is work is
synonymous to monetary benefit, i.e work is doing certain amount of task and compensative with
monetary amount of self-structure .
when we look into non-monetary aspect of work we realise work is social economic as well cultural
when we say it is social implies that it is we look into the whole caste based divisions it was a
occupational division so each caste with a certain kind of work ,then imply work was basis of
identification belonging to the group .
Work is social economic and cultural phenomena .it is merely a matter of economic behaviour that
influences
-Status and social class – it is basis of categorization and therefore central to individual sense of self-
esteem and identity
Life chances – the monetary benefits from work enhances or declines the life chances in individuals
life.
Friendship and community life –work is the major place for meeting people from same class and
making community.
Work is differentiated from occupation that is an occupation is a type of work that performed for the
express purpose of monetary reward.

CLASSIFICATION OF WORK
Work is constituted by two separate and discreet activities that is paid employment in the public
sphere and unpaid domestic labour in the private sphere.
Paid work – production of goods and services that earns monetary benefits in the form of wage,
salary etc.
Unpaid work – activities not based on exchange of money that is housework the work performed by
women in the domestic sphere.
And other voluntary work for organisation, charities and political parties.
These two forms of work have tended to be understood with reference to different theoretical
models economic relations and gender relations,
Economic relation –it takes place in the public sectors and work is compensated.
Gender relation –most unpaid work done in the domestic sphere thus enabling understanding of
gender division of labour.
Women work as housewives for which there is no monetary benefits provided to them.
Voluntary work is an important example since it takes place in the public sphere but it unpaid.
CLASSIFICATION OF SOCIETY ON BASIS OF WORK
PRE –INDUSTRIAL
Hunting and gathering society primarily survive by hunting animals, fishing and gatherings plants.
These societies were nomadic, moving constantly in search of food and water.
Pastoral societies which first emerged 12000 years ago, pasture animals for food and transportation.
Horticulture societies – unlike pastoral societies that rely on domesticating animals, horticultural
societies rely on cultivating fruits vegetables and plants.
Agricultural societies use technological advances to cultivate crops especially grains like wheat, rice,
corn, over a large areas.
Industrial Society
The period during the 18th century when the production of goods in mechanized factories began is
referred as the Industrial Revolution. It laid to shift from agricultural society to industrial society.
Industrial societies feature growth of individualism and modern family life. Economy is based on
using machines particularly fuel driven ones to produce goods. On the positive side, Industrialization
brought, about technological advances that improved people health and expanded their life span.
On the negative side of industrialization meant the rise and growth of large cities and concentrated
poverty degrading conditions in these cities.
POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
A type of society in which economic activities enters on the production of information and the
provision of services we are today living in the information technology is according to the bell
information technology and services have replaced the machines and manufacturing jobs as the
primary dimension of the economy the industrial revolution has been replaced by the information
revolution and we now have what has been called and information society.

Industrial Capitalism
Industrial capitalism refers to an economic and social system in which trade industry and capital are
privately controlled and operated for a profit.
Large scale or complex machinery and associated technique is widely applied to the pursuit of
economic efficiency.
The capacity for work of the members of some groups is sold to others who control and organise it
The letter groups maintain relative advantage with regard to those resources which are scares and
generally valued.
Theories on work---
# Functionalism - work gives people and income and also provide them some sale self-fulfilment and
part of their identity in this people integrated with other social institution
#Conflict theory- work is often eliminating and the workplace is often a site for sexual harassment
and other problems. In this it produce elimination among those who perform repetitive tasks
#Symbolic interaction-organised social bonds between people in work setting in this interactive
systems within which people form relationships.
In contradiction
*Functionalism theory changing work system in adoption to social change that motivates people to
work harder.
*In conflict theory based on intention from power differences that reflect the definition of different
classes of workers.
*Symbolic interaction based on result of changing meanings of work resulting from change social
condition that produce different perception of the values of different occupation.
Classical approaches
Marx and capitalism
Interested in understanding how capitalist economy organised industrial production and how the
transition from early capitalism to industrial capitalism reshaped the social and political structure of
society.
Durkheim and industrial society
industrialisation tends to dissolve restraints on the passion of humans.
Where traditional societies primary true religion successfully taught people to control their desires
and goals modern industrial society separate people and we can social bonds as a result of increased
complexity and the division of labour.
This is especially evident in modern society where we are further separated and divided computer
technology the internet increasing bureaucracy and specialisation in the workplace.