The strange non-retreat of the state: implications for the sociology of work

Abstract

The article critically reviews the reasons for the decline in the engagement with the state in the sociology of work after the 1970s, and for its resurgence after the financial crisis of 2008. It assesses three separate streams of literature (sociology of work, political sociology and welfare state sociology), and argues for the benefits of their integration. Articles in this special section of Work, employment and society provide examples of the mutual utility of such integration. This introduction concludes by identifying some important avenues for future research on the state and work.