TY - JOUR
AU - Biggart, Nicole, Woolsey
AB - Abstract How-to-succeed books published in the United States since 1950 offer a glimpse into the subjective experiences of middle-class workers. This paper analyzes 30 bestselling success manuals to explore how rationalization has affected workers' attitudes towards themselves, their jobs, and their role in society. I divide the formulas these books offer for success into four categories, and relate each of these categories to the changing structure of middle-class work opportunities. The most recent formula encourages workers to retreat from the workplace and find fulfillment in leisure activities. I conclude that modern success techniques encourage workers to view themselves as objects and to manage themselves in ways that hold no threat to prevailing economic arrangements. This content is only available as a PDF. Author notes * An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meetings of the Pacific Sociological Association in San Diego, California, April 1982. The author thanks Robert Blauner, Todd Gitlin, Gary G. Hamilton, and Tom Janowski for their help. © 1983 Society for the Study of Social Problems, Inc.
TI - Rationality, Meaning, and Self-Management: Success Manuals, 1950-1980
JF - Social Problems
DO - 10.2307/800355
DA - 1983-02-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/rationality-meaning-and-self-management-success-manuals-1950-1980-DvQ3eL1CFj
SP - 298
EP - 311
VL - 30
IS - 3
DP - DeepDyve
ER -