Briefing Paper
Order Description
Welcome to Organizations and Occupations. Much of our lives are lived out in relation to organizations and in doing work of some kind – whether paid or not. In this module we will think about how organizations function and how structural, cultural and interpersonal factors both within and outside of organizational settings affect our experience of work. We will also explore understandings of work per se, the different forms it takes and different ways in which work relates to identity and provides meaning to people’s lives or, alternatively, leaves them alienated from themselves and those around them.
This module has a ‘real-world’ focus which is designed to encourage your learning and help you to apply ideas in contexts of your own choosing. To this end, as well as attending and participating in the weekly classes and doing the appropriate reading, you are asked to spend around 30 hours (i.e. approximately one working week in total) doing fieldwork, observing and researching an aspect of organizational or occupational life in action. You can go about this in different ways. For example, you may decide to negotiate and arrange a short-term ‘residency’ with a local organization and undertake an agreed role within that organization doing voluntary work or shadowing people. Or you might decide to turn your research focus on something closer to home and consider an aspect of organization life or an employment situation that you are already involved with in some way but want to consider in a new light. Or you may decide to learn more about organizational or working practices that are open to public scrutiny such as public council meetings, court proceedings, church services and the like. It is up to you how you go about your research but, subject to ethical approval from the module leader, every effort will be made to accommodate the research topics you wish to explore.
Along with learning about and researching organizational and occupational life in a particular context, you are also asked to consider the theoretical ideas discussed in the class and through your reading in the form of an essay. Essay titles will be provided for the various topics covered during the module.
As well as learning about the sociology of organizations and occupations this module also has a more direct ‘employability’ focus in terms of your own employment opportunities after graduation. As part of the course, a representative from KU Talent will talk to you about CVs and the recruitment practices of graduate employers. This aspect of the course has proven particularly popular with students in the past as it gives you some concrete advice about how to maximize your chances of being called for a job interview and what to expect if you are interviewed.
Module Aims
The formal aims of this module are as follows:
• To enable you to understand and critically evaluate the structure and function of organizations and their impact on work life and experience.
• To apply advanced sociological understandings to a real-world setting.
• To enhance your employability skills.
Module Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module you will be able to:
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of social and social-psychological aspects of organizations and working life.
• Identify, analyse and give a sociological account of an aspect of organizational practice or work experience
• Communicate appraisal an organisational practice or work experience to a wide audience.
• Demonstrate reflexive practice.
Reading and Resource List
There are a variety of general texts that are useful for this course. Readings specific to each class topic will be available on StudySpace under the ‘Classes’ tab. Useful general texts include the following:
Buchanan, DA and Huczynski AA (2010) Organizational Behaviour, Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.
Godwyn, M and Hoffer Gittell, J (eds) (2012) Sociology of Organizations: Structures and Relationships, London: Sage.
Grint, K (2005) The Sociology of Work, (3rd ed), Cambridge: Polity.
Handel, MJ (ed) (2003) The Sociology of Organizations: Classic, contemporary and critical readings, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Watson, T (2008) Sociology, Work and Industry (5th ed.), London: Routledge. Also out as a 6th edition under a slightly different title: Sociology, Work and Organisation.
Volti, R (2012) An Introduction to the Sociology Work and Occupations, Washington: Sage.
Two very short but useful introductory texts to get you started are given below – but don’t just rely on these!:
Grey, C (2013) A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Organizations (3rd ed), London: Sage.
Hatch, MJ (2011) Organizations: A very short introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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