Gender, Work and Social Theory

A critical overview of the contribution of social theory to our understanding of the significant and ongoing problem of gendered work inequalities.

How is gender signified, produced and reproduced through paid and unpaid labour? In what ways does gender intersect with other kinds of disadvantage? How does power work through interactions, emotions and bodies? In this original synthesis of social theory and its application to gender and work, Kate Huppatz draws from classical theory and principles of the ‘cultural turn’ to explore how feminist sociology dismantles dualistic understandings of gender and scrutinizes the workings of power. In a tour de force of exposition and analysis of landmarks in the literature, Huppatz reflects upon continuities and departures in cutting-edge research on gender within organizations, unpaid domestic labour, and paid and unpaid care work. Close attention is paid to pressing issues such as the intersectionality of inequality in the workplace, relations between micro activities and larger social processes, and the impact of Covid-19 on exposing and exacerbating the gendered inequalities of work. Case examples drawn from North America, Australasia and the UK illustrate social theory in practice. Throughout, Huppatz emphasizes the importance of theoretical understandings in furthering empirical research about gender and work. She also considers the gendered division of labour within the study of work and employment itself. This key new addition to the Themes in Social Theory series is an essential read for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers interested in this area of study across a wide range of disciplines.