Labor Sociology in the context of the restructuring of production

a theoretical discussion

Abstract

Based on both a discussion of the history of labor sociology in the three nations where it has enjoyed greatest development and on an analysis of labor transformations within the current world context of the restructuring of production, the article discusses the main theoretical trends within this field. The limitations of analyses whose scope is restricted to study of the material and technological aspects of the question are underscored, along with their incapacity to take into account the serious social problems currently facing today’s societies. One of the main threads of this discussion is the notion of technological determinism, a topic deemed central to further progress within this field.