SOC 342—001
Organizations and Work in Society
[semester]
instructor information
THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE COURSE
According to several philosophical traditions, work is a major activity through which humans define
themselves even as they create goods and services. In contemporary society, much work occurs within the
context of organizations. While organizations provide a degree of stability, they also are influenced by
changes—reflecting both environmental pressures and strategic choice on the part of their executives and
stakeholders—in technology, managerial practice, deindustrialization, globalization, and many other factors.
This course is intended to introduce students to sociological theory and research regarding historic and
contemporary working conditions, the implications of work for individuals and the larger society, the
relationship between work and the organizations within which it occurs, and the changing nature and
impacts of organizations.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this course, students should be able to:

Identify major issues involving organizations and work in contemporary society;

Explain major sociological theories regarding work and organizations;

Explain the rationale for bureaucracy as well as contemporary pressures that have led to the
development of post-bureaucratic organizations;

Explain the relationship between organizational characteristics and work experiences;

Explain the influences of globalization, technological change, and deindustrialization on work and
organizations;

Analyze the relationship between experiences inside and outside of the workplace.

Make informed choices of more advanced and specialized courses in the sociology of work and
organizations.
REQUIRED READINGS
The following books are required and should be available in bookstores:
Michael J. Handel (ed.), The Sociology of Organizations: Classic, Contemporary, and Critical Readings
(Sage, 2003)
Arlie Hochschild, The Time Bind: When Work become Home and Home becomes Work (Owl Books, 1997)
Randy Hodson and Teresa Sullivan, The Social Organization of Work, 3rd ed. (Wadsworth, 2002)
David Jaffee, Organization Theory: Tension and Change (McGraw-Hill, 2001)
George Ritzer, The McDonaldization of Society, New Century Edition (Pine Forge, 2000).
The following book is available in Young Library reserves:
Amy S. Wharton (ed.), Working in America: Continuity, Conflict, and Change, 2nd ed. (McGraw-Hill,
2002).
In addition, you are responsible for class handouts, and you may be required to read an occasional article or
case study distributed in class.
GRADING PROCEDURE
Grades for the course will be determined by the following components:
Three In-Class Exams (closed-book); 15% each
Critical Review of McDonaldization (out of class; open-book)
Take-Home Final Exam
45 %
25 %
30 %
Detailed information about each component appears below.
In-Class Exams. These exams will cover material in selected chapters from assigned readings as well as
additional material introduced in class. Exams will be taken on a “closed-book, closed-notes” basis. They
will include essay questions (short and/or long) and may also include other formats. Makeup exams will not
be given unless you have an “excused absence” as defined by the University Senate. An exam missed due to
an unexcused absence will be averaged as a zero.
McDonaldization Paper. In this paper, you will be asked to provide a summary and a critical commentary
on The McDonaldization of Society. Late papers will be penalized at the rate of one letter grade per day.
You may consult books and notes as you write your answers. You may have preliminary conversations with
other students, but you may not read drafts or papers prepared by other students, nor may you make your
own draft or paper available to other students.
Final Exam. The final exam will be a take-home exam consisting in part of a critical essay on Hochschild’s
The Time Bind and in part on reflective essays regarding related materials. The final exam will be due on
the day that the final exam for this course has been scheduled by the Registrar. Exams submitted one day
late will be accepted with a twenty-point penalty. Exams submitted more than one day late will not be
accepted except in the case of documented emergencies. An exam that is not submitted or not accepted will
be averaged as a zero. You may consult books and notes as you write your answers. You may have
preliminary conversations with other students, but you may not read drafts or papers prepared by other
students, nor may you make your own draft or paper available to other students.
Excused Absences. All of the written requirements described above are to be fulfilled on or by specific
dates. Exceptions will be made only in the case of excused absences. Although attendance will not be
taken on a routine basis, it will be taken on specific dates (particularly those involving extensive individual
or group activities). On such dates, notes of excused or unexcused absences will be made. Acceptable
reasons for excused absences include: (a) serious illness, (b) illness or death of a family member, (c)
university-related trips (provided advance notice has been given), (d) major religious holidays (provided
advance notice has been given), or (e) other reasons approved in advance by the instructor. Except in the
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case of last-minute emergencies, you must provide advance notice of excused absences and make
arrangements for fulfilling any missed assignments.
Attendance and Participation. This class will be successful only to the extent that all of us are willing to
attend and to share questions and ideas on a regular basis. Some class sessions will emphasize discussion,
including occasional work in small groups. Attendance will be taken during some such sessions. While
attendance and participation will not contribute official points to your final grade, consistently helpful
contributions to the class may provide a basis for raising your grade.
Calculation of Final Grades. Your exams will be averaged according to the weights shown above. Final
grades will be assigned according to a ten-point scale (90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=E).
Class participation and attendance may be used to raise grades for students who are “on the border” between
two grades.
Incompletes. A grade of Incomplete (I) will be given only if a genuine emergency prevents you from
completing the course.
University Policies. Policies related to excused absences, cheating/plagiarism, withdrawal, and other
matters can be found in your copy of Student Rights and Responsibilities. As students and faculty of the
University of Kentucky, we are all responsible for adhering to these policies. In accordance with University
policy, the minimum penalty for cheating or plagiarism is a grade of “E” in the course.
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1
Defining Work and Organizations
Jaffee, chapter 1
Week 2
The Rise of the Factory System and the Development of Contemporary Organizations
Jaffee, chapters 3 and 4
Handel: #2, Taylor, “The Principles of Scientific Management”
# 3, Braverman, “The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century”
Week 3
Rationalization and Bureaucracy
Jaffee, chapter 5
Handel: #1, Weber, “Bureaucracy and Legitimate Authority”
#24, Chandler, “The Emergence of Managerial Capitalism”
~ First Exam ~
Weeks 4 and 5
Societal and Individual Impacts of Rationalization and Bureaucracy: The Case of McDonaldization
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Ritzer, entire book
~ Critical Review of Ritzer~
Week 6
Beyond Bureaucracy: Emerging Organizational Forms
Jaffee, chapters 6 and 7
Handel: #10, Walton, “From Control to Commitment in the Workplace”
#11, Rubinstein, “A Different Kind of Company: From Control to Commitment in Practice”
#12, Graham, “Inside a Japanese Transplant: A Critical Perspective”
#34, Rothschild-Whitt, “The Collectivist Organization”
#35, Whyte et al., “Worker Ownership, Participation, and Control”
Week 7
Technology and Environments as Influences on Organizations
Jaffee, chapters 8-10
Handel: #18, Pfeffer and Salancik, “The External Control of Organizations”
#19, DiMaggio and Powell, “The Iron Cage Revisited”
~ Second Exam ~
Week 8
Work in Organizational Context
Hodson and Sullivan, chapters 1-5
Week 9
Technology as an Influence on Work: Fields, Mines, and Factories
Hodson and Sullivan, chapters 7-8
Week 10
Technology as an Influence on Work: The High Tech Workplace
Hodson and Sullivan, chapter 9
Wharton: Zuboff, “In the Age of the Smart Machine”
Vallas and Beck, “The Transformation of Work Revisited”
Week 11
The Rise of Service and Professional Work
Hodson and Sullivan, chapters 10 and 11
Wharton: Hochschild, “The Managed Heart”
Pierce, “Rambo Litigators: Emotional Labor in a Male-Dominated Job”
~ Third Exam ~
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Week 12
Work and Inequality
Hodson and Sullivan, chapters 12 and 14
Handel: #29, Collins, “Black Mobility in White Corporations”
#30, Edwards, “Segmented Labor Markets”
#31, Clawson et al., “The Access Process”
Week 13
Gender as a Force in Work-Based Inequality
Handel: #28, Kanter, “Men and Women of the Corporation”
Wharton: Reskin, Culture, Commerce, and Gender: The Feminization of Book Editing”
Weeks 14 and 15
Work and Life Off the Job: Family and Leisure
Hochschild, entire book
Work 16
The Future of Work in the Global Economy
Hodson and Sullivan, chapters 16 and 17
~ Take-Home Final Exam ~
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