Edited by leading British sociologists of stratification, this book advances contemporary debates in class analysis. It draws on current theoretical debates in sociology and considers the implications of the cultural turn for the study of class. It brings together the very latest empirical work on contemporary topics such as culture, identities and lifestyles undertaken by researchers from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. It will be required reading for those committed to pushing the boundaries of class and stratification in new and exciting directions around the world.

Both women and men strive to achieve a work and family balance, but does this imply more or less equality? Does the persistence of gender and class inequalities refute the notion that lives are becoming more individualised? Leading international authorities document how gender inequalities are changing and how many inequalities of earlier eras are being eradicated. However, this book shows there are new barriers and constraints that are slowing progress in attaining a more egalitarian society. Taking the new global economy into account, the expert contributors to this book examine the conflicts between different types of feminisms, revise old debates about ?equality? and ?difference? in the gendered nature of work and care, and propose new and innovative policy solutions. This path-breaking book makes essential reading for all those interested in the intersections of class, family and employment in the 21st century. Students and researchers of sociology, gender studies and social policy, as well as practitioners and policy-makers interested in work?family balance, will find this book invaluable.

Full Contributors:
Jill Rubery, School of Management, UMIST, Manchester, UK; Paul Edwards, University of Warwick, UK; Paul Marginson, University of Warwick, UK; Peter Armstrong, Sheffield University, UK; John Purcell, University of Bath, UK; John Allen, The Open University, UK; Nick Henry, University of Birmingham, UK; Tony Lane, University of Liverpool, UK; Bryn Jones, University of Bath, UK; Duncan Gallie, Nuffield College, Oxford, UK; Carole Thornley, Keele University, UK; Alice Lam, The University of Kent at Canterbury, UK; Jacqueline O'Reilly, WZB Berlin, Germany; Abigail Gregory, Irene Bruegel, Judy Wajcman, University of Warwick, UK.

Economic Restructuring and Social Exclusion provides a timely reminder of persisting inequalities of class, race and gender as a consequence of the changes which have engulfed Europe in less than a decade. The contributors consider key debates including democracy, social justice and citizenship. The book also examines evidence that social and economic polarization is increasing, and the prospect of a conspicuous and growing "underclass" in Europe's urban centres is fast becoming a reality. This volume will be particularly valuable for undergraduate and postgraduate students in sociology.

Rates of employment amongst mothers of young children have risen rapidly in recent years. Attitudes to gender roles have changed, and both employers and governments have had to adjust to new realities. But some argue that recent changes in employment relations are making work more family 'unfriendly'. What are the real consequences of change? Rosemary Crompton explores the origins and background of this radical shift in the gendered division of labour. Topics covered include the changing attitudes to gender roles and family life, the gendered organisational context, and recent changes in employment relations and their impact on work-life articulation. A comparative analysis of Britain, France, Norway, Finland, the United States and Portugal provides an assessment of the varying impact of state policies, and the changing domestic division of labour. Crompton draws on original research and situates her findings within contemporary theoretical and empirical debates.

Economic Restructuring and Social Exclusion provides a timely reminder of persisting inequalities of class, race and gender as a consequence of the changes which have engulfed Europe in less than a decade. The contributors consider key debates including democracy, social justice and citizenship. The book also examines evidence that social and economic polarization is increasing, and the prospect of a conspicuous and growing "underclass" in Europe's urban centres is fast becoming a reality. This volume will be particularly valuable for undergraduate and postgraduate students in sociology.

During the last two decades there has been widespread evidence of change in specific aspects of employing organizations, employment and employment related institutions.
Changing Forms of Employment looks at the underlying trends which generate pressures towards a fundamental reshaping of social institutions in three ways: changes in the organization of production, particularly those associated with the growth of service dominated economics; the effects of technological change, particularly those associated with Information Technology; the erosion of the 'male breadwinner' (or single earner) model of employment and household.
These trends have resulted in strains and ruptures in the organization and regulation of employment, and related institutions including trade unions, employers, and households. The task of the next decade is to both reconstruct relationships, and to renew institutions.

This book is intended for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in social structure and political sociology as well as academic sociologists and libraries. It should have significant appeal to researchers and students in European studies and others interested in European integration.

First published in 1922, this volume aimed to contribute to our understanding of the complexities which shape attitudes and behaviour at work. Based on material obtained from a survey of workers employed by a single firm - who operate production systems as widely as different as continuous-flow chemical production and yarn spinning - this book highlights features of the production system which are crucial in influencing attitudes and behaviour within the work setting. Through a comparison of craftsmen and semi-skilled workers, it also illustrates the influence of differences of expectations upon work attitudes and behaviour. The authors reject any approach which could be called technologically determinist but nonetheless seek to show that a comparative approach to the study of behaviour in organizations may still fruitfully take as its starting-point technology and the systems of control which are devised for the planning and execution of the task.

The latest in the successful Oxford Modern Britain series, Women and Work in Modern Britain provides a highly accessible introduction to this important topic. Rosemary Crompton gives a full account of the recent changes in the structure of women's employment, incorporating a comprehensive review of the theoretical concepts and arguments developed to explain them. Discussing the pattern of women's paid employment from the standpoint of both constraint and individual choice, the author begins by examining the variety of explanations offered to understand the situation of women in work in twentieth-century Britain. In subsequent chapters she discusses the nature and extent of women's employment in Britain today; cross-national comparisons of the differential structuring of women's employment; women as employees; and the impact on the lives of both women and men of the changing employment/family interface and its implications for the wider structure of inequality and social polarization in Britain. Clearly and engagingly written, with useful chapter summaries highlighting key points and discussions, Women and Work in Modern Britain will be essential reading for students and teachers alike.

Rates of employment amongst mothers of young children have risen rapidly in recent years. Attitudes to gender roles have changed, and both employers and governments have had to adjust to new realities. But some argue that recent changes in employment relations are making work more family 'unfriendly'. What are the real consequences of change? Rosemary Crompton explores the origins and background of this radical shift in the gendered division of labour. Topics covered include the changing attitudes to gender roles and family life, the gendered organisational context, and recent changes in employment relations and their impact on work-life articulation. A comparative analysis of Britain, France, Norway, Finland, the United States and Portugal provides an assessment of the varying impact of state policies, and the changing domestic division of labour. Crompton draws on original research and situates her findings within contemporary theoretical and empirical debates.

The relationship between the sexes are changing. Across Europe, more womaen are in employment, and more are moving into higher-level occupations. What are the consequences of this for families, jobs, and social structures? Restructuring Gender Relations and Employment seeks to answer these questions and investigate the changing mosaic of employment and family lives and, gender relations in contemporary Europe.