New Books Network Michelle Jackson, "The Division of Rationalized Labor" (Harvard UP, 2025)
Feb 21, 2026
Michelle Jackson, Associate Professor of Sociology at Stanford, studies how work has transformed over 150 years. She explores specialization vs. expanding job tasks. Short case studies cover medicine shifting to prevention, policing taking on community roles, manufacturing’s changing task patterns, and how firms and place shape workers’ lives. The conversation ends with thoughts on complexity and AI.
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Two Meanings Of Division Of Labor
- The division of labor covers both individual task specialization and the broader occupational structure.
- Sociologists must treat these as related but distinct processes when studying work over time.
Paradox: Specialization Adds Tasks
- Specialization by output can increase the number of tasks workers must perform.
- This paradox arises because specialised outputs invite more scientific knowledge and tasks into jobs.
Rationalized Occupations Draw In Science
- A 'rationalized occupation' links occupational goals to scientific means-ends calculations.
- As science broadens, occupations adopt more scientific inputs, expanding job responsibilities.
