The Changing Shape of Work : Psychosocial Trends in America. Lives in Transition: The New Middle Ground. Current Issues in Higher Education, 1978 / Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Ellen Goodman.

Two essays are presented, "The Changing Shape of Work: Psychosocial Trends in America," by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, and "Lives in Transition," by Ellen Goodman. In the first, several trends outlined include increasing participation of women and youths in the labor force, an increase in non-nuclear families, better jobs available to blacks combined with continuing higher unemployment for blacks versus whites, extension of collective bargaining but an overall decline in union power, and general "rights consciousness". Possible consequences of these trends are examined: inaccurate manpower forecasting, growth of psychosocial as opposed to economic incentives in work, growing rights conflicts, incentives for taking less desirable jobs, and competition for desirable jobs. In the second essay, social change in the 1970's is discussed, with attention given to changing roles for men and women, personal and work relationships, and opening of opportunity combined with a lack of fixed roles or expectations. It is proposed that the role for colleges in this transitional period is to help students learn flexibility, decision-making, how to cope with change, and finally, how to cause change when necessary. (MSE)

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