Varieties of Precarity - (Research in Comparative and Global Social Policy) by Sophia Seung-Yoon Lee (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book introduces the concept of 'melting labour' and provides a real depiction of how workers lose control over their lives and experience precariousness in labour markets.

Book Synopsis

Despite recent achievements in the South Korean economy and development within welfare institutions, new forms of precarious work continue to prevail.

This book introduces the concept of 'melting labour', which refers to the blurring of boundaries between traditional forms of work and workplace and the dissolution of standard employment relationships. Presenting a theoretical framework at the intersection of 'melting labour' and institutional protection of workers, it addresses how and why the Korean welfare state has failed to protect precarious workers.

Based on rich, in-depth interviews with over 80 precarious workers in Korea, from subcontracted manufacturing workers to platform workers, it provides a real depiction of how workers lose control over their lives and experience precariousness in labour markets.

Review Quotes

"This book testifies the global spread of the precariat. Millions of people, including many in South Korea, are losing the rights of citizenship, and evidence such as found in this valuable book highlights the urgent need for a new progressive politics." Guy Standing, SOAS University of London and author of The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class

About the Author