Is Russian Sociology of Labor Ready to Respond to New Challenges? (Analytical Review of Two Scientific Conferences)

Abstract

This article provides an analytical review of two major conferences on sociology of labor, held in December of 2021 and March of 2022. The central problem was the precarity of work and the situation of employees given conditions of unstable employment caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The thematic continuity of the events made it possible to realize the persistence and scale of the precarity phenomenon both as a topic of sociological knowledge and as a social problem. In particular, it is shown that precarious work, being intrinsic to an increasing number of people of various professions, warps not only the social role of the employee, but also undermines the role of work as the value- and meaning-forming framework of human life. The empirical data presented by the speakers proved that precarious employment is becoming a new form of exploitation, since it means a relatively low price of labor, a decline in an employee’s qualifications, a limited number of social guarantees, vulnerability in crisis situations. Remote work, something that has become widespread during the pandemic, has brought about not only certain advantages for both the employee and the company (efficiency, saving time and other resources, advanced training in the field of information technology), but also new forms of exploitation (extending the work day, using personal and familial resources for work, etc.). The article closes with conclusions regarding the potential demand for the theoretical, methodological and applied aspects of the scientific discussions held when it comes to counteracting the precarization of employment and labor relations.