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Towards a Sociology of Meaningful Work

Author

Listed:
  • Knut Laaser

    (Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, Germany; University of Stirling, UK)

  • Jan Ch Karlsson

    (Karlstad University, Sweden)

Abstract

In the last decade, research on the nature, impact and prospect of meaningful work has flourished. Despite an upsurge in scholarly and practitioner interest, the research field is characterized by a lack of consensus over how meaningful work should be defined and whether its ingredients are exclusively subjective perceptions or solely triggered by objective job characteristics. The disconnection between objective and subjective dimensions of meaningful work results in a hampered understanding of how it emerges in relation to the interplay of workplace, managerial, societal and individual relations. The article addresses this gap and introduces a novel sociological meaningful work framework that features the objective and subjective dimensions of autonomy, dignity and recognition as its key pillars. In this way, a framework is offered that analyses how meaningful work is experienced at the agent level, but shaped by wider dynamics at the structural level.

Suggested Citation

  • Knut Laaser & Jan Ch Karlsson, 2022. "Towards a Sociology of Meaningful Work," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 36(5), pages 798-815, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:36:y:2022:i:5:p:798-815
    DOI: 10.1177/09500170211055998
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gazi Islam, 2012. "Recognition, Reification, and Practices of Forgetting: Ethical Implications of Human Resource Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(1), pages 37-48, November.
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    3. Gazi Islam, 2012. "Recognition, Reification, and Practices of Forgetting: Ethical Implications of Human Resource Management," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-01232667, HAL.
    4. Gazi Islam, 2012. "Recognition, Reification, and Practices of Forgetting: Ethical Implications of Human Resource Management," Post-Print hal-01232667, HAL.
    5. Stephen Deery & Deanna Kolar & Janet Walsh, 2019. "Can Dirty Work be Satisfying? A Mixed Method Study of Workers Doing Dirty Jobs," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 33(4), pages 631-647, August.
    6. Paul Thompson & Mirela Ivanova & Antonia Kupfer & Charles Umney & Friedericke Hardering & Stefanie Huertgen & Wolfgang Menz & Sarah Nies & Silke Roth & Stephan Voswinkel & Ruth Yeoman & Genevieve Code, 2021. "Work Appropriation and Social Inequality," Vernon Press Titles in Economics, Vernon Art and Science Inc, edition 1, number 1105.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rojas, Alejandra & Gölgeci, Ismail & Santoro, Gabriele, 2025. "Navigating meaningful work: Exploring the impact of mobile telepresence robots on healthcare professionals," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    2. Chang, Hung-Hao & Meyerhoefer, Chad D., 2025. "How natural disaster shocks to agriculture affect health care use and expenditure," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    3. Vanessa Beck & Tracey Warren & Clare Lyonette, 2025. "Is Any Job Better Than No Job? Utilising Jahoda’s Latent Deprivation Theory to Reconceptualise Underemployment," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 39(2), pages 404-425, April.
    4. Moriyasu, Callahan & Cassola, Adele & Sprague, Aleta & Raub, Amy & Heymann, Jody, 2025. "Realizing the right to education for all: Approaches to removing barriers based on gender, disability, and socioeconomic status in 193 countries," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).

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