IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/woemps/v7y1993i4p535-560.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Construction Skill and Skill Construction

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas L. Steiger

    (Indiana State University)

Abstract

Despite considerable refinement in scientific concepts of skill, common sense concepts of skill prevail in the workplace. This paper examines common sense notions of skill and craft in United States building construction workplaces, focusing on the informal designations of construction labour (the `good craftsman,' `specialist,' and `jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none') and formal designations of union and non-union labour, using data drawn from empirical investigation. This skill ideology is examined for its role in social closure as well as contradictory aspects that may undermine collective interests. Further research on ideological discourses justifying pay, power and privilege is called for.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas L. Steiger, 1993. "Construction Skill and Skill Construction," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 7(4), pages 535-560, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:7:y:1993:i:4:p:535-560
    DOI: 10.1177/095001709374002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/095001709374002
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/095001709374002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:7:y:1993:i:4:p:535-560. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.britsoc.co.uk/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.