Abstract
In the first chapter we set out our arguments for approaching social stratification in general, and employee involvement in particular, through a consideration of the structure of the distribution of rewards, individual reactions to that distribution, and the strategies that are pursued in attempting to change it. Associated with that structure are normative and cognitive elements, according to which those who possess certain criteria, such as educational qualifications, are believed to merit greater rewards, both because they possess the criteria and because possession of them is associated with the attainment of more highly rewarded positions. The cognitive aspects underpin the normative, providing a rationale for the belief in the necessity of the differential allocation of rewards. While these aspects are not, in themselves, a direct concern of this study, they are involved in the individual’s perceptions of his position and in his expectations. These perceptions and expectations can only be understood in the context of his present situation and past experience, which is where we must begin. We shall leave an examination of expectations to the next chapter, but perceptions are not readily separable from the actual rewards and will be considered here. First, however, we must give our attention both to the actual structure of the distribution of rewards within our sample, and to the processes by which the individuals came to occupy the positions that they do. That is, we want to consider the ways in which various factors in the individual’s background led to a particular location, and to the rewards associated with it.
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© 1982 K. Prandy, A. Stewart and R. M. Blackburn
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Prandy, K., Stewart, A., Blackburn, R.M. (1982). Social Background, Rewards and Perceptions. In: White-Collar Work. Cambridge Studies in Sociology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-16961-0_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-16961-0_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-33273-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-16961-0
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