Changes in Work from Pre-Industrial Revolution to the Present: A Short Descriptive Paper

Abstract

This Sociology of Work assignment asks students to describe and contrast how work has changed in the United States from pre-Industrial Revolution to the present day. They complete a structured paper which addresses shifts in labor force demographics, working conditions, the role of machinery/technology, and relationship to product/service. There is a...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Work and Labor Markets

Resource Type(s):

Essay

Class Level(s):

College 200, College 300

Class Size(s):

Medium, Small

Usage Notes

This five-to-seven-page length take-home assignment was designed for an undergraduate Sociology of Work course at a mid-sized R2 with a hefty non-traditional and first-generation student population. Most of my students are sophomores or juniors who are not sociology majors. This assignment is due during week 12 of a 16-week semester. At that point...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Correctly use relevant key concepts and theories (e.g. deskilling, alienation, emotional labor, nonstandard schedules) and locate them within their relevant era(s).
2. Describe how work has or has not shifted across eras along four dimensions (relationship to work; working conditions; labor force demographics, and machinery/technology), using only our course readings, lectures and videos as evidence.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Written application paper