Choonara Insecurity, Precarious Work and Labour Markets

Challenging the Orthodoxy
1. Auflage 2019
ISBN: 978-3-030-13330-6
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 257 Seiten

Reihe: Progress in Mathematics

Precarity is a key theme in political discourse, in media and academic discussions of employment, and within the labour movement. Often, the prevailing idea is of an endless march of precarity, rendering work ever more contingent and workers ever more disposable. However, this detailed study of the UK labour force challenges the picture of rising precarity and widespread use of temporary employment, suggesting instead that employment tenure and the extent of temporary work have proved stubbornly stable over the past four decades. Choonara offers a new approach to labour markets, drawing on the theoretical underpinnings of Marxist political economy to interrogate research data from the UK. This book examines why, despite the deteriorating conditions in work, employment relations have remained stable, and offers insight into the extent of subjective insecurity among workers. Insecurity, Precarious Work and Labour Markets will be of use to students and scholars across the sociology of work, labour economics, industrial relations and political economy.

Joseph Choonara is Lecturer in the School of Business, University of Leicester, UK. 

Autoren/Hrsg.

Choonara, Joseph

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Preface and Acknowledgements;5
2;Contents;7
3;List of Figures;8
4;List of Tables;10
5;1 Introduction: The Precarity Debate;12
5.1;1.1What Is at Stake?;12
5.2;1.2The Need for Data;16
5.3;1.3A Note on Terminology: Precarity, Insecurity, Contingency;18
5.4;1.4The Neoliberal Period;19
5.5;1.5Class, Work and Workplaces;21
5.6;1.6The Structure of the Argument;24
5.7;References;25
6;2 Theorists of Transformation;29
6.1;2.1Introduction;29
6.2;2.2Apostles of New Capitalism;30
6.3;2.3From Marx to the Multitude;41
6.4;2.4From Precarity to the Precariat;47
6.5;2.5Beyond the Precariat;55
6.6;2.6Dual Labour Markets, Segmentation and Flexibility;60
6.7;2.7Summary;66
6.8;References;66
7;3 Conceptualising Precarity and Insecurity;72
7.1;3.1Introduction;72
7.2;3.2Visions of Precarity;73
7.3;3.3Towards a Definition of Precarity;80
7.4;3.4Visions of Insecurity;81
7.5;3.5Towards a Definition of Insecurity;84
7.6;3.6Summary;85
7.7;References;85
8;4 Is Work Being De-standardised?;89
8.1;4.1Introduction;89
8.2;4.2Part-Time Work;90
8.3;4.3Temporary Contracts;94
8.4;4.4Agency Work;104
8.5;4.5Zero-Hours Contracts;109
8.6;4.6Self-Employment and the Gig Economy;120
8.7;4.7Summary;134
8.8;References;136
9;5 Is Employment Tenure Declining?;142
9.1;5.1Introduction;142
9.2;5.2Studies of UK Job Tenure;143
9.3;5.3The Aggregate Evolution of Tenure;146
9.4;5.4The Pattern of Redundancies;150
9.5;5.5Female Employment, Part-Time Work and Tenure;151
9.6;5.6Tenure by Job Type;156
9.7;5.7Tenure by Employee Characteristics;159
9.8;5.8Younger Workers;163
9.9;5.9Summary;164
9.10;References;166
10;6 Rethinking Labour Markets;169
10.1;6.1Introduction;169
10.2;6.2Employment and Two-Way Dependence;170
10.3;6.3Countermovements;175
10.4;6.4Reproductive Imperatives;177
10.5;6.5The Role of Legislation;181
10.6;6.6The Structuring of Labour Markets;186
10.7;6.7The Reserve Army;191
10.8;6.8Varieties of Self-Employment;194
10.9;6.9Summary;198
10.10;References;198
11;7 An Epidemic of Insecurity?;204
11.1;7.1Introduction;204
11.2;7.2Drivers of Insecurity;205
11.3;7.3The Evolution of Job Tenure Insecurity;209
11.4;7.4Acute and Generalised Job Tenure Insecurity;217
11.5;7.5Job Status Insecurity;219
11.6;7.6Summary;225
11.7;References;227
12;8 Conclusions;229
12.1;8.1The Problems of Precarity and Insecurity;229
12.2;8.2Against the Common Sense;230
12.3;8.3The Role of Political Economy;233
12.4;8.4Precarity and the Retreat from Class;234
12.5;References;241
13;Appendix;243
14;References;252
15;Index;254