Synopses & Reviews
Eichar takes a new conceptual and empirical approach to the question of class consciousness. Drawing on recent work in industrial psychology, as well as organization and management theory, he assesses the impact of occupation on working class consciousness and political orientation in terms of the content of work experience. He uses "job characteristic theory" to clarify the relationship between occupation and class to test whether certain job characteristics influence the class consciousness and political orientation of workers. Eichar begins by establishing theoretical distinctions relating to "occupation" and "class." He next looks at basic job characteristics and examines occupational self-direction and its relation to class consciousness. From a review of recent literature, the author develops a set of hypotheses relating to the impact of occupational self-direction and alienation on class consciousness. He tests these hypotheses empirically using job information from respondents and descriptions of job characteristics. Interpreting his findings, Eichar points out significant differences in the impact of alienation and occupational self-direction depending on the level of class consciousness. Offering solid empirical analysis and careful review of the new class theories, as well as more traditional views of the relationship between work and political attitudes, this study will be of interest in political sociology, Marxist studies, industrial psychology, management theory, and related fields.
Review
Eichar's book explores a novel idea: the effect of immediate job characteristics on working-class consciousness and political orientations. Occupations and Class Consciousness in America is elegantly written, modest in its claims, and balanced in data presentation. . . . Eichar explores an important question of how work influences class consciousness. . .American Journal of Sociology
Review
Eicher merges conceptual and empirical analyses of social classes, occupations, and political orientations into a carefully researched portrait of worker attitudes in American capitalism. Using data from the Quality of Employment Surveys (1970-), sponsored by the US Department of Labor, the author attempts to clarify the always popular and intriguing relationship between occupations and Marxist conceptions of class by using the `job characteristic' approaches of industrial psychology and organizational theory. This effort brings two traditionally disparate bodies of literature (and ideology) together in a new and promising way. Rarely will good-faith Marxists write about such topics as job satisfaction, motivation, and occupational self-direction. Although the empirical relationships between job characteristics and worker attitudes are generally weak and inconsistent, Eichar's conceptual models are fruitful and worthy of a look. Most appropriate for social science research collections in academic libraries. Most likely users will be graduate students and faculty.Choice
Synopsis
Eichar takes a new conceptual and empirical approach to the question of class consciousness. Drawing on recent work in industrial psychology, as well as organization and management theory, he assesses the impact of occupation on working class consciousness and political orientation in terms of the content of work experience. He uses job characteristic theory to clarify the relationship between occupation and class to test whether certain job characteristics influence the class consciousness and political orientation of workers.
Eichar begins by establishing theoretical distinctions relating to occupation and class. He next looks at basic job characteristics and examines occupational self-direction and its relation to class consciousness. From a review of recent literature, the author develops a set of hypotheses relating to the impact of occupational self-direction and alienation on class consciousness. He tests these hypotheses empirically using job information from respondents and descriptions of job characteristics. Interpreting his findings, Eichar points out significant differences in the impact of alienation and occupational self-direction depending on the level of class consciousness. Offering solid empirical analysis and careful review of the new class theories, as well as more traditional views of the relationship between work and political attitudes, this study will be of interest in political sociology, Marxist studies, industrial psychology, management theory, and related fields.
Synopsis
Eichar assesses the impact of occupation on working class consciousness and political orientation in terms of the content of work experience. He uses "job characteristic theory" to clarify the relationship between occupation and class to test whether certain job characteristics influence the class consciousness and political orientation of workers.
About the Author
DOUGLAS M. EICHAR is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Hartford.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Conceptual Independence of Occupation and Class
Occupational Self-Direction and Alienation
Occupational Self-Direction, Class, and Authority
Occupational Self-Direction and Class Consciousness
Analysis of Work-Related Class Interests
Analysis of Other Levels of Class Consciousness and Political Orientation
Interpretations and Conclusions
Appendices
Bibliography
Index