Critical Social Theory and the End of Work (Rethinking Classical Sociology)

213 Pages·2009·2.01 MB·English

by  Edward Granter

Criti Cal So Cial t heor y and the
end of Work
r ethinking Classical Sociology
Series editor: david Chalcraft, University of derby, Uk
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Ritual and the Sacred
A Neo-Durkheimian Analysis of Politics, Religion and the Self
Massimo Rosati
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Essays in Historical and Cultural Sociology
Edward A. Tiryakian
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Critical Social t heory and
the e nd of Work
edWard Granter
Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK
© Edward Granter 2009
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Edward Granter has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act,
1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Granter, Edward.
Critical social theory and the end of work. -- (Rethinking
classical sociology)
1. Work--Philosophy. 2. Technological unemployment.
3. Employees--Effect of technological innovations on.
4. Critical theory.
I. Title II. Series
306.3'6-dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Granter, Edward.
Critical social theory and the end of work / by Edward Granter.
p. cm. -- (Rethinking classical sociology)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7546-7697-3 (hardcover) -- ISBN 978-0-7546-9397-0
(ebook) 1. Automation--Social aspects. 2. Work--Social aspects. 3. Critical theory. I.
Title.
HD6331.G79 2009
306.3'6--dc22
2009017553
ISBN 9780754676973 (hbk)
ISBN 9780754693970 (ebk.V)
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
1 Introduction: Critical Social Theory and the End of Work 1
Critical t heory 1
Critical t heory and critical social theory 4
The meaning of the end of work 5
Work 6
Scope of the book 7
outline of the chapters 7
2 The Beginning of the End of Work 9
introduction 9
Definitions of work 9
Work in nonindustrial society 12
historical conceptions of work 14
industrialisation and the rise of work 21
Conclusion 29
3 Industrialism, Utopia, and the End of Work 31
More’s Utopia 32
t he play of the passions: Fourier’s utopia 34
Etzler’s technological utopia 40
Bellamy: Work in the rational society 43
The work of art and the art of work: William Morris 47
Conclusion 49
4 Marx and the End of Work 51
Introduction 51
Work as the human essence 52
aesthetics and affirmation in work 54
Marx’s critique of work under capitalism 56
Machinery, value and the transformation of work 58
Marx, the end of work and the politics of time 64
Conclusion 66
vi Critical Social Theory and the End of Work
5 Marcuse: Needs and Potentialities in the Age of Automation 69
Introduction 69
Marcuse, needs, and the human essence 70
Work and eros 73
eros and automation 76
Work in one dimensional society 79
Work and aesthetics in Marcuse 82
Marcuse and the new sensibility 86
Conclusion 88
6 The Future of Work and Leisure 93
introduction 93
Automation, the affluent society and the future of work 96
futurology and revolution: Towards the year 2000 99
t he future of work in postindustrial society 102
t he revolt against the work ethic and the revenge of work 103
t he end of work, or work resurgent? 107
Conclusion 109
7 André Gorz: Postindustrial Marxism and the End of Work 113
Introduction: Gorz in intellectual context 113
Gorz’s changing theoretical perspective? 114
t he end of work, a strategy for labour 115
Post scarcity society and the new sensibility 118
r eduction of work in Strategy and beyond 120
The unfulfilled potential of capitalist technology 121
From alienation to heteronomy, the end of work in the electronic era 122
New social subjects: The non working non class 124
Gorz and Negri on immaterial labour 126
l iving dead capitalism and the ghost of work 131
Conclusion 133
8 Sociology and the End of Work: Classical, Cultural and
Critical Theories 135
Introduction 135
t he categorisation of social thought 135
The establishment of work as sociological category 136
offe and the decline of work: Heterogenisation and rationality 138
t he debate over the work ethic: Taylorisation, morality and necessity 139
Increasing unemployment, decreasing work time 140
a note on Bauman and the work ethic 142
t he end of the industrial community? 143
Habermas: work and rationality in the administered society 144
Social change, system integration and the obsolescence of work 147
Contents vii
t he sociological shift 149
From production to consumption 150
Baudrillard: Shattering the Mirror of Production 151
New Times and cultural studies: Consumption as resistance 154
Cultural studies in New Times: A critique of consumption
as resistance 156
Conclusion: Consumer society and one dimensional thought 161
9 Travail sans frontières: Globalisation and the End of Work 165
Introduction 165
Globalisation in perspective 165
Defining globalisation 166
Capital, labour, globalisation 167
The white heat of neoliberalism; globalisation and the West 168
Exporting jobs, individualising risk 169
deregulate and punish: work under neoliberal globalisation 171
Conclusion: work in the global South 176
10 Conclusion: The End of Work as Critical Social Theory 179
References 185
Index 199
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Acknowledgements
This book was written with the financial support of a Graduate Teaching
Assistantship in the School of English, Sociology, Politics and Contemporary
History at the University of Salford. I wish to thank the School and University
for this provision. Sincere thanks go to those who supervised and advised on
my PhD thesis, Stephen Edgell, Graeme Gilloch and Greg Smith, all of whom
have been enthusiastic in their support and guidance. Their generous, thoughtful
and unstintingly constructive advice has proved invaluable. I should also like to
thank Paul Bellaby and Rob Flynn for their comments on the thesis as part of the
Interim Assessment and the Internal Evaluation. Rob has also provided supportive
mentorship during my academic career at Salford. Peter Bratsis facilitated an
Interview with Stanley Aronowitz, for which I am grateful to them both. My family
and my partner Jill deserve thanks for supporting me though the course of the PhD.
I have been surprised how many friends have been interested in discussing the end
of work.
Any deficiencies, and all views expressed, are solely the responsibility of the
author.
Note
A version of Chapter 6 first appeared as ‘A dream of ease: Situating the future of
work and leisure’ in Futures 40 (9) November 2008, pp. 803–811.