Industrial sociology : the social relations of industry and the community

This book has been written with two aims in mind. The first aim is to describe the social structure of modern large-scale industry and its relations to society, Social structure and societal relations are conceived as being in a state of flux, having developed out of previous forms and changing into new forms. The analysis, therefore, deals not only with the present form of industry, but with its past; it deals also with some of the dynamic forces to which industry is subject. The second aim, not unrelated to the first, is to systematize a large body of existing research in the field of industrial sociology and other disciplines within one frame work, in a sense to codify these separate pieces of research and to bring them into meaningful relation to one another.

In order to accomplish both these aims, Industrial Sociology is cast within the framework of a body of social theory. This social theory is essentially designed to provide a dynamic analysis of social systems, using particularly the concepts of role, structure, generalized goals, and strain. Industry is analyzed in terms of these concepts as a special type of social system. Furthermore, by viewing industry as a system, it is possible to locate separate pieces of research in an orderly and systematic manner. For instance, this book attempts to bring together, within the theoretical framework, separate studies of managerial motivation, trade union structure, worker productivity, motives for union activity, and so on.

Where research does not exist, or exists only in fragmentary form, the author has taken the liberty of speculation, always within the theoretical framework of the book. Undoubtedly, there are certain dangers in such procedure. But it should be pointed out that in speculating from the basis of the systematically known into the unknown, we are following good scientific practice. The author would, of course, readily acknowledge that such smust be quickly checked against fact. In areas where research is particularly sparse especially in the area of the relationship between industry and society he has attempted, in a preliminary way, to fill at least a few gaps on the basis of available data gathered for other purposes. It goes without saying that more directed, more precise, research is needed in these areas.