Work Time

Cynthia L. Negrey is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Louisville.

"Cynthia Negrey has written an astute, thorough review of what we have learned about the issue of work time since the issue was put back on the table by Juliet Schor's The Overworked American. By placing the issue in historical context, and by providing a comparative framework for thinking about the American experience, her book succeeds in its goal of getting readers to think about how work time might be organized differently, in ways more compatible with the needs of a changing workforce."Peter Meiksins, Cleveland State University "Engaging and accessible, Work Time illustrates the historical development of the concept of time, then deftly weaves together the broad literature around the defining work-time innovations of our era, namely the transition to part-time, temporary, and other non-permanent forms of employment. By integrating the literature on today's work-time configurations and providing an international comparison of social policies aimed at supporting work-life balance, Negrey helps readers make sense of one of the most complex and significant issues of our times. Work Time is essential reading for students and a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and practitioners who are interested in work, gender, and the intersection of the two."Anne Zacharias-Walsh, Solidarity Ink"an excellent example of good sociological analysis which illuminates the underlying social characteristics of dominant institutions."Contemporary Sociology

• List of Figures, Tables, and Boxes viiAcknowledgments ixIntroduction 11 From Field to Factory and Beyond 9Original Affluence? 10Medieval Church Time, Modern Clock Time 14Commodified Time 18Industrial Time-discipline 19Time-work Discipline in the Twenty-first Century 25Gendered Time 272 Work-time Reduction in the US 31Citizenship, Leisure, Education, and Health 34From Haymarket to Henry Ford 40Work Sharing and Fair Labor 51Two 30-hour Experiments 57Conclusion 633 Current Trends 65Annual Hours 66Weekly Hours 69Overtime 71Non-standard Work 74Non-standard Schedules 90Hours Mismatches 924 Work–family, Work–life 96From Family-based to Family Consumer Economy 97Women’s Labor-force Participation 99Family Structure and Employment Hours 102Housework, Child Care, and Free Time 102Work–family 108Private Adaptations 109Workplace and Public Policy Initiatives 114Work–life 1245 Work Time Outside the US 128Work Hours in Industrialized Nations 128Work Hours Regulations in Europe 136Women’s Part-time Employment in Europe 148Family Policies 151European Couples’ Work-hour Strategies 158Work Hours in Transition and Developing Countries 163Work Hours Preferences 171Conclusion 1726 A New Political Economy of Work Time 174The Electronic Cottage 178Customized Time: Two Forms 180Recommendations for Change 181Work Time and Environmental Sustainability 187Conclusion 191Notes 195References 201Index 229