The Transformation of Work in the New Economy: Sociological Readings

In The Transformation of the New Economy, editors Robert Perrucci and Carolyn C. Perrucci critically examine existing conditions in the workplace and discuss the political and economic forces that have shaped them. The book explores established practices governing how products are produced, how work is organized, and who comprises the labor force.

Perrucci and Perrucci examine computerized production technology, global production chains, and the international division of labor as products of political struggles between corporations, workers, and the government. The outcomes of these struggles have produced our global economy, made jobs less secure, and kept wages of average Americans from growing the way they did post-World War II. These outcomes have also led to downsizing in the workplace, restructuring the social organization of work, and outsourcing jobs to other countries.

This anthology illustrates how the new economy has affected:
* Job opportunities and income for workers of different gender, race, and class.
* Working conditions of professionals, factory workers, and workers in the service economy.
* Family life of parents, children, and dual earners.

The closing section of the book focuses on policy changes that could improve the conditions of workers in the new economy--with specific attention to raising wages, better access to health care, and company policies that empower workers.