Technology, Control, and the Social Organization of Work at a British Hardware Firm, 1791-1891

View/ Open
Issue Date
1987-07Author
Staples, William G.
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This paper examines the social relations of production at a British metal-trades firm throughout the 19th century. The case study reveals the existence of two distinct political apparatuses, or regimes, identified in provious literature, that govern production relations. The first regime, between 1791 and 1867, is described as patriarchal because production is organized around adult, male, internal subcontactors and their families. In the second period, roughly 1868-91, the regime is characterized as paternalistic since it attempts to align the interests of capital and worker through family, work, and community life. The analysis uncovers social and economic forces that undermined the system of internal subcontracting and patriarchy and fostered paternalism. Emerging paternalism shaped the struggles over the introduction of new technologies that formed the basis for the real subordination of labor to capital.
Description
This is the published version. Copyright 1987 University of Chicago Press.
Collections
Citation
Staples, William G. "Technology, Control, and the Social Organization of Work at a British Hardware Firm, 1791-1891." American Journal of Sociology Am J Sociol 93.1 (1987): 62. Web.
Items in KU ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
We want to hear from you! Please share your stories about how Open Access to this item benefits YOU.