The sociology of labor is a section of sociology that studies the processes characteristic of society, expressed in the social activity of a person, in his attitude to work, as well as the relationship between people within the same team.
The first works, revealing the concept of labor and exploring it, appeared at the dawn of the 19th century. The basis for them was practical experience, long-term observation and the study of specific facts. And only half a century later,
Frederick Taylor, an engineer from America, combined the results of the research into a certain system. At first, it all came down simply to finding the most optimal methods for performing operations in production. Only with time did a direction called "scientific organization of labor" arise. And then, within its framework, such terms as “professional selection”, “wages” and many others appeared.
A huge contribution to the fact that the sociology of labor was further developed in the domestic field was made by A.K. Gastev. He was convinced that the improvement of work processes is impossible without their systematic research. With the support of V. I. Lenin, A. K. Gastev founded the Central Institute of Labor, which he himself headed. In the 30s, the activities of this institution were recognized as anti-Soviet, and the head was shot.
So, the sociology of labor, as an independent area, distinguished from the general, was formed only in the twenties of the past century. And this phenomenon was preceded by the emergence of production as such and scientific views on the work process.
Sociology of labor includes the following concepts:
1. Character. This method, which the performer connected to the means of production. It is determined by those property relations that prevail in a particular environment. By the nature of labor, one can judge its economic and social nature in society, and the stage of its development.
2. Content. This concept is manifested in the fact that all labor functions have certainty. They can be caused by various technologies, used equipment, as well as how production is organized, and how skills of the employee are developed. The nature and content cannot be considered separately, they represent the unity of the form and essence of social labor.
3. Satisfaction. This is how the employee himself evaluates his place in the division of labor. In different societies, it can differ significantly.
4. Actually labor. This is the direct activity of the participant in the workflow. It aims to get ahead of the satisfaction of all its needs.
The sociology of labor is inextricably linked with many economic sciences. Without them, it is impossible to conduct full-fledged research and obtain reliable, accurate results. These are statistics, and mathematics, and the organization of production. This, of course, is also other branches of general sociology - the sociology of economics, management, organization. Also, such sciences as psychology, physiology, law and many others continue to exert considerable influence on its formation.