Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The Significance of Work in Liquid Modernity

2. The Fate of the Work Ethic

3. Work and Self-Identity: Vocation, Authenticity and Passion

4. Seeking Sensation and Meaningful Work

5. Conclusion

Appendix 1: Research Methodology

Appendix 2: List of Participants and their Occupations

Appendix 3: Profiles of Research Participants

Index

About the Author

Sara James is a Lecturer in the Department of Social Inquiry at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. She was born in the United Kingdom and grew up in Melbourne. Her main research interests are in the sociology of work and cultural sociology, with a particular focus on meaning and self-identity. Sara also undertakes research in higher education pedagogy, focusing on the first-year experience. She is co-author of Sociology in Today's World (3rd edition, 2014), an introductory text for sociology students.