Norbert Elias's Lost Research

John Goodwin is Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester. He was previously the Head of the Centre for Labour Market Studies (2006-2010), Sub-Dean (2003-2006), and the first Academic Director of the College of Social Science (2009-2010) at the University of Leicester. Henrietta O’Connor is Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester. She has held a number of roles including Head of Department of the Centre for Labour Market Studies and Deputy Head of the School of Management. Previously she held posts as Sub-Dean of Graduate Studies and Director of Postgraduate Research in the College of Social Science.

• Contents: Preface; Introduction; The ’Young Worker Project’: context and controversies; Researching the Adjustment of Young Workers to Work Situations and Adult Roles: conceptual framework and 1960s fieldwork; Researcher representations of the young workers; Complex transitions in 1960s labour markets; Gendered transitions; Youth culture and leisure in the 1960s; Whatever happened to the young workers?; The case of 10 women from Leicester: subsequent careers; Afterword: thoughts, reflections and future possibilities; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

’This is a wonderfully rich and impressive book about the sociology of economic life. At times reading like a detective story it tells us so much about how work has changed over four important decades. It should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in the history of British sociology.’ Tim Strangleman, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK