Abstract
This issue marks the launch of our new Book Review Symposia initiative. Through this initiative we aim to identify and review newly published texts that we expect to have a significant impact on the field of the sociology of work and employment. Each Book Review Symposium will run alongside our other review options of single and joint book reviews and review essays. We expect to publish three review symposia each year. The format will typically involve three scholars reviewing a recent book with a response from the author or authors. It is somewhat like the author meets critics sessions found at many international conferences, but journal style. Scholars from different countries and disciplines are invited to participate, and we will invite junior colleagues as well as mid career and established academics to contribute. We hope that by including a response from the authors, each review symposium will facilitate dialogue and debate between reviewers and authors, and provide insight into the evolution of core propositions, theoretical innovations and empirical contributions located within the featured text.
The series begins with Professor Guy Standing’s The Precariat, featuring reviews by Professor Arne Kalleberg, Dr Hazel Conley and Dr David Spencer. Published in 2011, The Precariat builds upon Standing’s previous work, notably on labour market flexibility. The Precariat is a controversial, big picture text which has captured the imaginations and demanded the attention of many academics, policy makers and activists around the world.
Future books scheduled to feature in our review symposia series include Arne Kalleberg’s Good Jobs, Bad Jobs, Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson’s The Spirit Level and Sylvia Walby’s Globalization and Inequalities. For our forthcoming 25th Anniversary Issue we will revisit a classic from 1987, the year WES launched. For this important landmark issue we have chosen Scott Lash and John Urry’s The End of Organized Capitalism.
Suggestions are welcome from WES readers for books to feature in this new initiative, either recently published texts or classics to revisit. The expectation is that books chosen will be considered landmark publications, be that in terms of content or the standing of the author. Only very few books will be considered to fall within this scope. Reviewers will ultimately be determined by the editors. Please contact Jennifer Tomlinson with proposals: