Welcome to The Social Organization of Work (SOC 220-81 – 100% online)
Summer 2, 2011 (7/19/11 – 8/10/11)
Dr. H. Mark Ellis, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470
Raubinger Hall, #459; 973-720-3411; ellism@wpunj.edu (not ellish)
Select Topics and Videos We Will Explore:
Disclosure; North Country; and Oleanna (Sexual Harassment):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWhReW8xTgg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXkVQm0QPyY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMTbQ1g6vl8
Silkwood (Worker Safety and Unions):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbFdYep6Pcg
The Devil Wears Prada; and Working Girl (Female Management Styles):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zicgut4gpwU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ep59YP_rqQ
Nurse Jackie (Worker Ethics):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diFtEzZ6hGs&feature=related
Dirty Jobs (Dirty Work):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkhoC2_YeXQ
Course Description:
The American labor force is complex and fascinating. It is also of great practical
interest because most of us plan to be in the labor force for at least part of our lives.
As individuals we might ask: What kinds of work can I do to become (or remain) a
respected member of this society? One’s place in a hierarchy: one’s social class,
race, and sex often direct or limit the kinds of answers that are suitable or possible.
The answers not only tell us about the possibilities for placement, they also tell us
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about the moral order in society. Work provides a clue to a person’s worth in
society – how others judge and regard that person. In modern, industrialized
societies, to work – and earn money – is also to gain status as an adult. Thus
working is an important way to develop a sense of identity and a sense of selfesteem. The value we place on this process, and our commitment to it, show how we
choose and are forced to participate in the social order.
In this course we will consider the place of work for the organization of society, but
our focus will be on the meaning of work for individuals. How do they distinguish
work from other activities? What is the nature of their commitment to work and
how does it develop? What are the consequences of choosing one line of work
rather than another? and at what stage in the life course are fateful decisions made
about work?
The structure and function of the American labor force is analyzed. We will consider
the structure of the paid and non-paid labor market, reviewing conflicting theories
of how workers get placed in jobs and how jobs are related to one another. We will
also examine principal actors within organizations themselves; the managers,
professionals, and workers whose job conditions and organizational power vary
dramatically. We will conclude by looking at technological change and the future of
the work force.
Required Texts:
We will read only portions of these books during this short summer session.
1)
Gig. 2001. John Bowe, Marisa Bowe, and Sabin Streeter.
2)
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. 2001.
Barbara. Ehrenreich.
3)
The Social Organization of Work (5th edition). 2012.
Randy Hodson and Teresa Sullivan.
The 4th edition is essentially the same as the new 5th edition. Chapter 3 has
a change in title but the content is basically the same. The fifth edition is
updated and is the preferred version for this course. There are differences
between both editions.
What Equipment/Software Do You Need?
Contact IRT and see the Blackboard student help pages as well for what you will need
to do this course in terms of computer capacity.
1. a Pentium or MAC comparable with a connection speed of 28.8 kbps, or 56kbps would
be even better
2. a Windows 95/98, NT or MAC operating system
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3. a 256 color (16+ bit) display
4. an account with your own Internet service provider (ISP), with a browser and e-mail
5. MS Office (Word) or Corel WordPerfect (6 or higher)
6. Please note the following if you have trouble opening some documents in this course.
(.docx) is the file extension for Word 2007 or 2008 regardless of the operating system
you are using. Instructors and students who have Office 2007 or higher on their
computer will be able to open a file with a .docx extension. Instructors and students who
don't have Office 2007 or higher can download free compatibility software at:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101686761033.aspx
This is really important and a MUST!!!!
What Should You Know How To Do Before Taking This Course:
1. you should be able to use one of the following word processing software: Microsoft
Word or Corel WordPerfect
2. you should be able to web browse and use e-mail
How Do You Get to the Online Course?:
Blackboard Home: http://bb.wpunj.edu
I look forward to this class. As you take this course and experience online
learning/instruction ask yourself a work-related question, does technology increase and
improve the routinization and efficiency of the finished product and service called
learning and instruction? Does the technology of online instruction enhance, diminish, or
impede the finished product called learning in a social/behavioral science such as
sociology? Does the facilitation of online work environments desensitize workers to
human interaction and threaten economic competition, worker-output, and the quality of
the finished product? Is online the wave of future and current work environments? Will
workers work from home in the future 100%?
[See] you soon,
Dr. H. Mark Ellis
Department of Sociology
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