The return of work in critical theory : self, society, politics / Christophe Dejours, Jean-Philippe Deranty, Emmanuel Renault, and Nicholas H. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dejours, Christophe, author.

Deranty, Jean-Philippe, author.

Renault, Emmanuel, 1967- author.

Smith, Nicholas H. (Nicholas Hugh), 1962- author.

Contributor:

Class of 1924 Book Fund.

Series:

New directions in critical theory

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Work--Psychological aspects.

Work.

Critical theory.

Physical Description:

xi, 232 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2018]

Summary:

From John Maynard Keynes's prediction of a fifteen-hour workweek to present-day speculation about automation, we have not stopped forecasting the end of work. Critical theory and political philosophy have turned their attention away from the workplace to focus on other realms of domination and emancipation. But far from coming to an end, work continues to occupy a central place in our lives. This is not only because of the amount of time people spend on the job. Many of our deepest hopes and fears are bound up in our labor?what jobs we perform, how we relate to others, how we might flourish. The Return of Work in Critical Theory presents a bold new account of the human significance of work and the human costs of contemporary forms of work organization. A collaboration among experts in philosophy, social theory, and clinical psychology, it brings together empirical research with incisive analysis of the political stakes of contemporary work. The Return of Work in Critical Theory begins by looking in detail at the ways in which work today fails to meet our expectations. It then sketches a phenomenological description of work and examines the normative premises that underlie the experience of work. Finally, it puts forward a novel conception of work that can renew critical theory's engagement with work and point toward possibilities for transformation. Inspired by Max Horkheimer's vision of critical theory as empirically informed reflection on the sources of social suffering with emancipatory intent, The Return of Work in Critical Theory is a lucid diagnosis of the malaise and pathologies of contemporary work that proposes powerful remedies.

Contents:

Introduction

Part one. Worries about work. Unemployment and precarious work

Work-life imbalance, disrespect at work and meaningless work

Part two. The subject at work. The technical dimension

Dynamics of recognition

Part three. A critical conception of work. Justice and autonomy as norms of work

Two models of critique

Part four. Performance evaluation. Managerialism versus cooperative management

From theory to practice : intervention in an enterprise

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-221) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1924 Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780231187282

0231187289

OCLC:

1013737860