WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORK

This paper provides a cultural critique of the meanings of work as theytranscend different modes of production. Twenty years on from the collapse of state socialism,Western experts are still called upon to prescribe ‘the best way’ for how productive workshould be conducted/managed across the non-Wes...

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Main Authors: MIHAELA KELEMEN, DIRK BUNZEL, PAUL WILLIS
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Petrosani 2009-01-01
Series:Annals of the University of Petrosani: Economics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.upet.ro/en/annals/pdf/annals-2009-part4.pdf
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author MIHAELA KELEMEN
DIRK BUNZEL
PAUL WILLIS
author_facet MIHAELA KELEMEN
DIRK BUNZEL
PAUL WILLIS
author_sort MIHAELA KELEMEN
collection DOAJ
description This paper provides a cultural critique of the meanings of work as theytranscend different modes of production. Twenty years on from the collapse of state socialism,Western experts are still called upon to prescribe ‘the best way’ for how productive workshould be conducted/managed across the non-Western world (Jankowicz, 1993; 1994; Kostera,1995, Kelemen, 1999). This ‘one best way’ usually assumes that the basic unit of analysis is therational, utility-maximising individual; a species, bred inside Westernized secondary andtertiary educational institutions, business schools, or (vocational) training courses, all of theseproducing their special form of ‘learning to labour’ (Willis, 1977). Thus equipped, this species– what we might call, for the time being, the ‘model-worker’ - is bound to inhabit a ratherinhabitable place, an arena of in increasingly global capitalism: the market.
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series Annals of the University of Petrosani: Economics
spelling doaj-art-280fdebf5ff14cf68ff0c847dbafd5f72025-08-20T02:43:38ZengUniversity of PetrosaniAnnals of the University of Petrosani: Economics1582-59492009-01-01IX42736WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORKMIHAELA KELEMENDIRK BUNZELPAUL WILLISThis paper provides a cultural critique of the meanings of work as theytranscend different modes of production. Twenty years on from the collapse of state socialism,Western experts are still called upon to prescribe ‘the best way’ for how productive workshould be conducted/managed across the non-Western world (Jankowicz, 1993; 1994; Kostera,1995, Kelemen, 1999). This ‘one best way’ usually assumes that the basic unit of analysis is therational, utility-maximising individual; a species, bred inside Westernized secondary andtertiary educational institutions, business schools, or (vocational) training courses, all of theseproducing their special form of ‘learning to labour’ (Willis, 1977). Thus equipped, this species– what we might call, for the time being, the ‘model-worker’ - is bound to inhabit a ratherinhabitable place, an arena of in increasingly global capitalism: the market.http://www.upet.ro/en/annals/pdf/annals-2009-part4.pdfworkcultural critiqueworkplace culturesworking culturesneoliberal context of worksocialist context of work
spellingShingle MIHAELA KELEMEN
DIRK BUNZEL
PAUL WILLIS
WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORK
Annals of the University of Petrosani: Economics
work
cultural critique
workplace cultures
working cultures
neoliberal context of work
socialist context of work
title WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORK
title_full WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORK
title_fullStr WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORK
title_full_unstemmed WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORK
title_short WHY WORK? A CULTURALLY INFORMED CRITIQUE OF PAST AND PRESENT SHOP FLOOR INTERPRETATIONS OF WORK
title_sort why work a culturally informed critique of past and present shop floor interpretations of work
topic work
cultural critique
workplace cultures
working cultures
neoliberal context of work
socialist context of work
url http://www.upet.ro/en/annals/pdf/annals-2009-part4.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT mihaelakelemen whyworkaculturallyinformedcritiqueofpastandpresentshopfloorinterpretationsofwork
AT dirkbunzel whyworkaculturallyinformedcritiqueofpastandpresentshopfloorinterpretationsofwork
AT paulwillis whyworkaculturallyinformedcritiqueofpastandpresentshopfloorinterpretationsofwork