Labor society as a concept (concept) of economic sociology. Labor activity

TRADITIONAL SOCIETY (pre-industrial society, primitive society) is a concept that focuses in its content a set of ideas about the pre-industrial stage of human development, characteristic of traditional sociology and cultural studies. Unified theory T.O.

Labor Labor is a purposeful activity. The concept of "expediency" is very conditional and to a large extent depends on the motives that prompt us to this or that activity. Man is forced to fight the necessity established by nature. His moral duty is to win

Labor See also “Labor and Capital” (p. 94) Labor is the seasoning for happiness. Xenophon (430–355 BC), ancient Greek writer and historian There is nothing more slavish than luxury and bliss, and nothing more regal, than labor. Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) according to Plutarch

In economic sociology, the concept of "working society" is opposed to the concept of "exploitative" (ie, appropriating) capitalist society, which was developed in Marxism. Unlike the Marxist (radical by definition of Western sociologists) direction in sociology, capitalism, according to their conviction, grows on the so-called “labor” basis, and not on the “predatory, predatory” basis, which Marx described as a process of “initial accumulation of capital”.

Max Weber he was the first in a number of sociologists to emphasize the important role of religious (namely, "Protestant") ethics and the importance of the religious justification of the meaning of labor for the formation of capitalism. It was the work ethic, formed by Protestantism, according to M. Weber, that became one of the foundations of capitalism.

The intense activity of everyday life, moral discipline, diligence and righteously accumulated (earned) capital - it was this scale of values ​​that contributed to the formation of new economic relations in the best possible way. These values ​​formed the basis of a fundamentally new civilizational type of society, which later Western sociologists defined as a "working society".

In order to transform capital from a means of domination and violence over others into a means of creation - a means of labor and service - a completely different worldview is needed. And, above all, it is necessary that the value of the highest value, consecrated by God himself, be given economic labor, that is, any productive activity aimed at generating income, or legitimate profit. It was this kind of economic activity based on labor asceticism (self-renunciation) and rational management that was elevated by Protestant ethics to the rank of a religious vocation.

For several centuries, until the 20th century, the paradigm of the working society determined the path of development of Western civilization.

Comprehending the transformation of modern capitalism, Western sociologists back in the 70s. In the 20th century, people started talking about the "death of the working society." From a value standpoint (in line with the sociocultural approach to the development of society), the modern era is increasingly seen as a transition from a labor type of society to a society of a different type (“consumer” or “leisure”). As an illustration of the characteristic features of this “new” society, the following statement can be cited: “The ideal of a man, an honest hard worker, earning a decent living, respected in the family and circle of friends, has remained in the past. He was replaced by a young sexy handsome man successfully trading his fame. (“It’s time to protect the stronger sex” // Komsomolskaya Pravda. January 19 - 2000. - No. 9. - C

M. Weber wrote: “The widespread dominance of absolute shamelessness and self-interest in the matter of obtaining money was a specific characteristic feature of precisely those countries that, in their bourgeois-capitalist development, are “backward” in Western European scales.” This feature remains characteristic of many so-called. "transitional societies" that did not go through the labor reformation and were delayed in their socio-economic development. On the other hand, the crisis of the “working society” experienced by Western civilization constantly threatens its sociogenetic foundations and reproduces forms of predatory enterprise that are modernist in form, but archaic in spirit.

The influence of the new Protestant economic culture on the development of capitalist attitudes towards Western Europe in the 17th-18th centuries.

The essence of the influence of the Protestant economic culture on the economic behavior of economic entities was that its norms motivated, stimulated, forced, finally, to work productively not alone, but both factors: labor and capital, workers and entrepreneurs. Moreover, their functioning now took place at a single rhythm, according to the same laws.

“Before, entrepreneurs mercilessly exploited, speculated, sought to profit, flouting all sorts of norms and restrictions. For their part, the social rank and file, forced to engage in unprestigious routine work, also circumvented the norms and laws, but in their own way: they deliberately limited labor productivity, sabotaged, disobeyed orders, showed dissatisfaction and neglect of work. Vectors them economic activities were directed in different directions, although both were irrational in their content. Both the top and the bottom sought to get the unearned. The measure of labor - ethical, economic, social - was absent as a foundation for the social organization of labor.

The vectors of economic activity of the upper and lower classes, of labor and capital, aligned in one direction only after the revolution made by the Protestant ethic. The unprestigious work of workers without wealth became as honorable as the prestigious work of professionals or the work of capitalists who invested in the rise of industry and the prosperity of society. Two different types of work ethic and code of conduct are gone. The united one, consecrated with high religious values, triumphed. Entrepreneurship has ceased to be adventurism, robbery and speculation, performing labor has ceased to be forced labor, from which people shied away at the slightest opportunity. Gone are the social practices in which some unjustly (undeservedly) got rich, while others unfairly (but voluntarily) begged. Both extremes - wealth and poverty - were equally condemned. Moderation, discipline and honesty have become central and priority values...

The poor ceased to envy the rich, wealth that was easily obtained was condemned, and even the last poor man would not envy wealth that was obtained by the sweat of one's brow and at the risk of one's life. All categories of the population, as chosen by God, became morally equal. And economically? Inequality persisted. But wealth as such was not condemned, which means that it retained its attractiveness for those who did not yet have it, but had great hope, were able and wanted to work. Wealth has been retained as an incentive for upward mobility if done legally. And the legal way is the most democratic and public. Therefore, the formation of a mass middle class is not far off.

The moral climate was improved (and it needed to be improved, since Europe since the sunset of antiquity was overwhelmed by waves of debauchery, robbery, speculation, exorbitant greed and greed) also due to the fact that work, which received the highest of all possible forms of sanctification, turned into a measure values ​​of a person and his activities” (Kravchenko A.I."The Sociology of Max Weber: Labor and Economics". M., 1998).

Work- this is an activity aimed at human development and the transformation of natural resources into material, intellectual and spiritual benefits. Such activities can be carried out either by coercion, or by internal motivation, or both.

Sociological functions of labor:

Socio-economic function consists in the impact of subjects of labor (workers) on objects and elements of the natural environment (resources) in order to transform them into objects to satisfy the needs of members of society, that is, into material goods and services.

productive function is to satisfy people's need for creativity and self-expression. Thanks to this function of labor, new objects and technologies are created.

social structuring function labor is to differentiate and integrate the efforts of people involved in the labor process. On the one hand, assigning various functions to different categories of participants in the labor process leads to differentiation and the creation of specialized types of labor. On the other hand, the exchange of the results of labor activity leads to the establishment of certain links between different categories of participants in the labor process. Thus, this function of labor contributes to the creation of socio-economic ties between different groups of people.

social control function labor is due to the fact that labor organizes a complex system of social relations, regulated by values, norms of behavior, standards, sanctions, etc., which are a system of social control of labor relations. It includes labor legislation, economic and technical standards, charters of organizations, job descriptions, informal norms, a certain organizational culture.

socializing function labor activity is connected with the fact that labor activity expands and enriches the composition of social roles, patterns of behavior, norms and values ​​of workers, which allows people to feel like full participants in public life. This function gives people the opportunity to acquire a certain status, to feel social belonging and identity.

Social development function labor is manifested in the impact of the content of labor on workers, teams and society as a whole. This is due to the fact that as the means of labor develop and improve, the content of labor becomes more complex and updated. This process is due to the creative nature of man. Thus, there is an increase in the requirements for the level of knowledge and qualifications of employees in almost all sectors of the modern economy. The function of employee training is one of the priority functions of personnel management in a modern organization.

Social stratification function labor is a derivative of the socially structuring and is due to the fact that the results of various types of labor are differently rewarded and evaluated by society. Accordingly, some types of labor activity are recognized as more, while others are less important and prestigious. Thus, labor activity contributes to the formation and maintenance of the dominant system of values ​​in society and performs the function of ranking participants in labor activity according to ranks - the steps of the stratification pyramid and the ladder of prestige.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that labor activity determines a number of interrelated social and economic phenomena and processes in modern society. The study allows you to identify the most effective ways to manage the organization.

The main categories of labor science

• complexity of work;
• professional suitability of the employee;
• the degree of autonomy of the worker.

The first sign of the content of labor is complexity. It is clear that the work of a scientist is more difficult than the work of a turner, and the work of a store manager is the work of a cashier. But in order to justify the measure of payment for various types of labor, their comparison is required. To compare complex and simple labor, the concept of "reduction of labor" is used. Labor reduction- this is the process of reducing complex labor to simple labor in order to determine the measure of remuneration for labor of varying complexity. With the development of society, the proportion of complex labor increases, which is explained by the increase in the level of technical equipment of enterprises and the requirements for the education of employees.

• performance by the employee of such mental labor functions as planning, analysis, control and coordination of actions;
• concentration of active thinking and purposeful concentration of the worker;
• consistency in making decisions and actions;
• accuracy and adequate response of the worker's body to external stimuli;
• fast, dexterous and diverse labor movements;
• responsibility for performance.

The second sign of the content of labor is professional suitability. Its influence on the results of labor is due to the abilities of a person, the formation and development of his genetic inclinations, a successful choice of profession, conditions for the development and selection of personnel. An essential role in professional selection is played by special methods for determining professional suitability.

The third sign of the content of labor is degree of employee independence- depends both on external restrictions associated with the form of ownership, and internal, dictated by the scale and level of complexity of the work. Reducing restrictions on decision making while increasing the measure of responsibility means greater freedom of action, creativity and the possibility of an informal approach to solving problems. The independence of an employee is a criterion for the level of self-awareness of a developed personality, its measure of responsibility for the results of work.

The nature of labor as a category of labor science represents the relationship between the participants in the labor process, which affect both the employee's attitude to work and labor productivity. From the point of view of the nature of labor, on the one hand, the work of an entrepreneur is distinguished, and, on the other hand, wage labor, collective or individual. Entrepreneur's labor is characterized by a high degree of independence in decision-making and its implementation, as well as a high degree of responsibility for the results. hired labor- this is the work of an employee called upon, under the terms of an agreement, to perform official duties in relation to the employer.

Modern labor science

Modern labor science includes a number of basic disciplines:

1. traditionally includes problems of labor productivity and efficiency, labor resources, labor market and employment, income and wages, headcount planning, problems of labor rationing.
2. Personnel economics examines the behavior of employees in the performance of their duties. The discipline studies the influence of various factors on labor productivity.
3. Occupational medicine- studies work-related factors that can cause injury, illness or other harm to the health of the worker.
4. Physiology of labor explores the functions of the human body in the process of labor: the physiology of the motor apparatus, the development and training of labor skills, performance and its regulation, sanitary and hygienic working conditions, the severity of labor.
5. Labor psychology explores the requirements for the human psyche associated with his attitude to work.
6. Personnel Management studies the problems of headcount planning, selection, training and certification of personnel, labor motivation, management styles, relationships in labor collectives, management procedures.
7. Sociology of labor studies the impact of workers on society and vice versa - society on the worker.
8. Labor Pedagogy how science considers the issues of employee training.
9. Ergonomics studies the organization of the process of adapting the means of labor to the characteristics, possibilities and limits of the human body.
10. labor management studies the basics of designing the labor processes of workplaces. Issues such as identifying the need for personnel, recruiting and selecting personnel, engaging employees, releasing them, developing, controlling personnel, i.e. management, coordination and communication structuring of work, remuneration policy, participation in success, personnel cost management and employee management.
11. Safety explores a set of problems related to ensuring safe labor activity.
12. labor law analyzes the complex of legal aspects of labor and management. This is especially important in hiring and firing, developing systems of rewards and punishments, solving property problems, and managing social conflicts.

Fundamentals of modern labor economics

labor economics- studies economic patterns in the field of labor relations, including specific forms of manifestation of the essence of labor, such as organization, payment, efficiency and employment.

object study labor economics labor is a purposeful human activity aimed at creating material wealth and providing services.

The subject of labor economics- socio-economic relations that develop in the labor process under the influence of various factors - technical, organizational, personnel and other.

aim labor economics are studies in the field of human resource management.

home a task labor economics - the study of the essence and mechanisms of economic processes in the sphere of labor in the context of human life and society.

Ways to improve the efficiency of labor activity

One of the most important elements of increasing the efficiency of human labor activity is the improvement of skills and abilities as a result of labor training. From a psychophysical point of view, industrial training is a process of adaptation and a corresponding change in the physiological functions of the human body for the most effective performance of a particular job. As a result of training, muscle strength and endurance increase, the accuracy and speed of working movements increase, and physiological functions recover faster after work is completed.

Rational organization of the workplace

Rational organization (ensuring a comfortable posture and freedom of labor movements, the use of equipment that meets the requirements of ergonomics and engineering psychology) provides the most effective, reduces fatigue and prevents the danger of occupational diseases. In addition, the workplace must meet the following requirements: sufficient working space; sufficient physical, auditory and visual connections between man and machine; optimal placement of the workplace in space; permissible level of harmful production factors; availability of means of protection against hazardous production factors.

A comfortable working posture of a person in the process of labor activity ensures high working capacity and labor productivity. A comfortable working posture should be considered one in which the worker does not need to lean forward more than 10-15 degrees; tilting back and to the sides is undesirable; The main requirement for a working posture is a straight posture.

The formation of a working posture in the “sitting” position is influenced by the height of the working surface, which is determined by the distance from the floor to the horizontal surface on which the labor process is performed. The height of the working surface is set depending on the nature, severity and accuracy of the work. A comfortable working posture when working “sitting” is also provided by the design of the chair (size, shape, area and inclination of the seat, height adjustment).

High working capacity and vital activity of the body are supported by a rational alternation of periods of work and rest.

Rational mode of work and rest

Rational mode of work and rest- this is such a ratio and content of periods of work and rest, in which high labor productivity is combined with high and stable human performance without signs of excessive fatigue for a long time. Such an alternation of periods of work and rest is observed at various periods of time: during a work shift, day, week, year in accordance with the operating mode of the enterprise.

The duration of rest during the shift (regulated breaks) depends mainly on the severity of the work and the conditions for its implementation. When determining the duration of rest during working hours, it is necessary to take into account the following production factors that cause fatigue: physical effort, nervous tension, pace of work, working position, monotony of work, microclimate, air pollution, aeroionic air composition, industrial noise, vibration, lighting. Depending on the strength of the influence of each of these factors on the human body, the time for rest is set.

The intra-shift regime of work and rest should include a lunch break and short breaks for rest, which should be regulated, since it is more effective than breaks that occur irregularly, at the discretion of the employee.

Short rest breaks are designed to reduce the fatigue that develops in the process of work.. The number and duration of short-term breaks are determined based on the nature of the labor process, the degree of intensity and severity of labor. The points of decrease in working capacity serve as a guideline for establishing the beginning of breaks for rest. To prevent its decline, a break for rest is appointed before the onset of fatigue of the body. In the second half of the working day, due to deeper fatigue, the number of rest breaks should be greater than in the first half of the shift. Physiologists have found that for most types of work, the optimal duration of a break is 5-10 minutes.. It is this break that allows you to restore physiological functions, reduce fatigue and maintain a working setting. With deep fatigue, it is necessary to go both along the line of increasing the number of breaks and increasing their duration. But short-term breaks lasting more than 20 minutes disrupt the already established state of working out.

Rest can be active or passive.. Active rest is recommended at work taking place in adverse working conditions. The most effective form of active recreation is industrial gymnastics. Active rest accelerates the recovery of forces, since when changing activities, the energy expended by the working body is restored faster. As a result of industrial gymnastics, the vital capacity of the lungs increases, the activity of the cardiovascular system improves, muscle strength and endurance increase.