Boredom on the Job

Abstract

This introductory-level assignment starts with a basic premise: Work can sometimes be boring. Students are asked to interview someone who has worked in a self-defined "boring" job and document and analyze those experiences. This is a two-part assignment, the first of which is conducted individually and the second in small groups in class. First, students...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Work and Labor Markets

Resource Type(s):

Assignment

Class Level(s):

College 100

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

In this assignment, I get students to analyze monotonous aspects of contemporary jobs and the ways in which workers deal with these aspects of work life. After reading and/or lecturing on sociological analyses of work, I assign the first segment of the assignment to be completed individually. Students conduct an interview with someone who has experience...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. To understand the sociological dimensions of monotony in the workplace and the extent to which it may vary by industry and/or job.
2. To understand the extent to which the structure of jobs influences experiences, interactions, enjoyment, monotony, and autonomy in the workplace.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students will demonstrate learning by analyzing the interview data for sociological understandings of the workplace and its influence on monotony on the job.
2. Students will demonstrate learning by mapping the influence particular workplace industries have on job satisfaction in their written and oral responses.