Chapter Premesse e promesse del postfordismo

Abstract

The term post-Fordism encompasses a set of economic as well as cultural and social aspects that, as far as labor is concerned, stand in continuity and rupture with the past. The transformations triggered by this phase have affected a plurality of areas, from the organization of work to labor management to the sectoral composition of demand, the transformation of labor relations and new forms of social protection; the most relevant consequence, however, is represented by the placing of value on the subjectivity of the worker himself. The essay looks at some of the main premises (and promises) that have characterized this phase, highlighting some of the main issues that have been, and to a large extent continue to be, open.