Compare two modules Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Compare two modules - Essay Example After this there is a theoretical introduction to the concept of work in sociology, and then of emotion. There follows a broad examination of emotion at work, and then a more focused examination of gendered emotion at work. Finally there is a concluding summary of the ways that emotion and work link together, in theory and in practice, and how this relates to the all-pervasive concept of power in society. Section 1. Power and its conceptualisation. The study of human society invariably involves some consideration of theories of power, whether large scale, longstanding and overarching power such as that of patriarchy or smaller scale power as it operates between two individuals. Sociologists study how power operates in a range of situations from domestic, work and political spheres to any context where people interact with each other, since in a very general sense, it can be said that â€Å"all social relationships are power relationships† (Crossley, 2005, p. 215) We all influe nce each other at a personal level, and are tied up in a network of connections where power flows back and forth in fluctuating ways. Power permeates through society in many different ways, and not only through individual actions. ... Some power is inherited at birth through variables such as gender, race, class or culture and this is very often a hidden type of power, especially to those who wield it themselves. One of the most convincing conceptualisations of power is that of Foucault who writes about â€Å"technologies of power† which discipline and shape people in overt ways, but also in subtle ways, as for example when people internalise certain rules and practices, and adhere unthinkingly to a workplace norm. This hegemonic approach is highly relevant to the administrative systems that pervade the world of work, keeping people in order and ensuring that the goals of the organisation (or state, in the case of public servants) are constantly being advanced. Section 2. Work Human beings operate in society using physical, cognitive and emotional skills and the interplay of these skills within the power structures of their environment and with other human beings is a fruitful area of contemporary research. In the area of work there is in modern times an over-emphasis on rational, cognitive types of behaviour and an under-emphasis on emotion. Above all the workplace seeks to engender conformity on its workers, so that specific tasks can be completed efficiently and fast. The more smoothly workers submit to the dominant norms of the workplace, the more profits can be gathered in by the organisation. Goffman (1967) explains the harmony that generally exists between people in terms of concepts like deference and avoidance of shame or stigma. No workplace can ever monitor its workers 100% of the time, and yet by and large people interact productively and in tune with the needs of the organisation: â€Å"mutual conformity and respect lead to pride and fellow