Non-standard work: Who wins? Theoretical-methodological analysis of the approaches to the study of non-standard employment

The article considers main approaches to the study of non-standard labor relations. Based on the conceptual model proposed by C. Rakowski, three approaches to the analysis of non-standard labor relations are presented: structuralist, neo-Marxist, and legalist. The author identifies methodological li...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: R. I. Anisimov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2019-12-01
Series:RUDN journal of Sociology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.rudn.ru/sociology/article/viewFile/21687/17181
Description
Summary:The article considers main approaches to the study of non-standard labor relations. Based on the conceptual model proposed by C. Rakowski, three approaches to the analysis of non-standard labor relations are presented: structuralist, neo-Marxist, and legalist. The author identifies methodological limitations and heuristic potential of these approaches, and using statistical and sociological data claims that non-standard labor relations are widespread in Russia (from 32 to 59 million people). The article presents different estimates of non-standard labor relations: some authors focus on their advantages, others - on disadvantages depending on the ideological positions and the object of analysis. The author insists on the methodological confusion in the study of non-standard labor relations in the legalist approach which combines informal economy with non-standard employment, making it difficult to consider beneficiaries and ‘victims’ of the emerging system. According to the studies, the benefits of non-standard labor relations are typical for entrepreneurs, while disadvantages - for employees. The author proposes to distinguish employees from non-standard labor relations and entrepreneurs in the informal economy, which allows to combine all concepts of non-standard labor relations and to identify winners and losers of such relations. The article also mentions reasons for the growth of non-standard labor relations: globalization, automatization of labor, changes of labor values, and social policy - under the evolution of capitalism as a historical system.
ISSN:2313-2272
2408-8897