Chapter 14 : Work and Economic Life

In this chapter you have explored a wide range of issues related to the economy and work. Over the course of the 20 th century we have seen important changes in the way work is organized and the composition of the workforce. New labor-saving technologies have been introduced, global production has emerged, the service sector has grown and the manufacturing sector has shrunk, and more women than ever are working outside the home.

Ever since the rise of capitalist economic activity, one of the fundamental issues surrounding work has been the number of hours we spend in paid labor. Movements for the 8-hour day go back to the middle of the 19 th century, when early industrial workers in the U.S. fought for "eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what we will." Since 1938, when the U.S. Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, the 40-hour work week has been the standard. At the same time, for the majority of Americans today, the 8-hour day is a thing of the past.

Writing Assignment 1:

In your own experiences, what has constituted a typical work week? How have you felt about the number of hours you spend working? What are your own expectations regarding working hours? In this data exercise we will be examining the changing patterns of working hours across time and among different categories of workers. Before you begin, what do you think: are Americans working more hours today than 25 or 30 years ago? Which types of workers are putting in the most time?

Part I:

Many people assume that blue-collar workers put in more time at work than their white-collar counterparts. In this exercise we are going to see if this is indeed the case.

Once again, we will be using the General Social Survey, so you can click here to go to the General Social Survey data analysis Web site at the University of California, Berkley. Once you are there, follow these steps:

1. Select the "GSS Cumulative datafile 1972-2002 - Full Analysis" option.
2. At the next display screen, choose the "Frequencies or crosstabulation" option and click on "Start."
3. For your Row variable you will want to type in HRS1 (r:0-34"<34hrs";35-40"35-40hrs";41-89">40hrs"). This will recode the information that respondents provided regarding the number of hours worked in the previous week into three categories.
4. For the Column variable type in YEAR (r: 1973-1979 "1970s"; 1980-1989 "1980s"; 1990-1999 "1990s"; 2000-2002 "2000s").
5. For the Control variable enter: CLASS This will give you separate tables for each of the four subjective classes and enable you to compare and contrast the patterns within these classes across time. .
6. Then select the boxes to display Column percentages, Question text, and Color coding. After making these choices, submit this job by clicking "Run the Table."

You can use Table 1 to record your output.

Writing Assignment 2:

What do the results show? Which groups of workers work the longest hours? Remember, the preceding analysis is based on subjective data, on how workers regard themselves as fitting into different class groupings, as members of the lower, working, middle or upper class. How can you describe the changes over time in the hours worked? Can you use your sociological imagination to analyze the broader factors behind these differences and changes?

Part II:

Let's repeat this analysis. However, this time we are going to see if there are any gender differences. As more women have entered the workforce has the patterns of change been the same for male and female workers?

Return to the SDA Frequencies/Crosstabulation Program page and follow these steps:

1. For your Row variable you will want to type in HRS1 (r:0-34"<34hrs";35-40"35-40hrs";41-89">40hrs"). This will recode the information that respondents provided regarding the number of hours worked in the previous week into three categories.
2. For the Column variable type in YEAR (r: 1973-1979 "1970s"; 1980-1989 "1980s"; 1990-1999 "1990s"; 2000-2002 "2000s").
3. For the Control variable enter: CLASS This will give you separate tables for each of the four subjective classes and enable you to compare and contrast the patterns within these classes across time.
4. To obtain information for only males in the sample, type SEX (1) in the Selection Filter(s) space.
5. Then select the boxes to display Column percentages, Question text, and Color coding. After making these choices, submit this job by clicking "Run the Table."

Use Table 2 to enter the information you obtain for males in this sample. Once you have entered all the data, return to the SDA Frequencies/Crosstabulation Program page and change the Selection Filter(s) from SEX (1) to SEX (2) so that you can obtain information for females in the sample. Use Table 3 to record the information for females.

Writing Assignment 3:

How would you describe the patterns of change? Has there been an increase in the number of hours worked for both males and females? What factors do you think could help to explain any perceived gender differences? Given the trends that you have identified, do you think that the changes will continue in the same direction or not?

Part III:

Writing Assignment 4/Essay:

Write a brief summary of what you discovered about the patterns of working hours across time and among different classes of workers. Is the 8-hour day or the 40-hour week the norm or has it been replaced by a different set of expectations? Why do you think these changes have occurred? Use the materials raised in this chapter to provide a sociological explanation for these developments.