Work in times of the pandemic - Risk politics and dynamic boundary management of work under the conditions of SARS-CoV-2

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Fritz Böhle; Professorin Dr. Sabine Maasen
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research ; Political Science ; Sociological Theory
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458412033

The Corona pandemic has a far-reaching impact on the world of work. Physical distancing measures are changing work organization and work practices, accelerating the digital transformation of the world of work. But often the significance of informal and bodily elements of work is overlooked. A considerable amount of work activities requires bodily presence to a varying extent, impeding a total digitization and increased technicality. Manifold controversies are sparked by the conflict of objectives between physical distancing and risks for work quality due to loss of corporeal/bodily and social closeness.This project proceeds from the assumption that boundaries and links between physical and technological dimensions of work have to be re-configured because of the Corona crisis, which is associated with the emergence of risk competitions. Modern risk society is challenged to find an adequate handling of the uncertainties and conflicts emerging in times of the pandemic, and to establish a risk governance for boundary shifts in physical/social matters.The project investigates the changes, areas of tension and forms of governance resulting from this reconfigurations, on the basis of comparative empirical case studies in the fields of software engineering, SME in manufacturing industries, cultural institutions (theatre) and health care system. This permits to observe the change of work in various sectors that are distinguished by the dimensions of degree of increased technicality and relevance of embodiment/corporeality for work organization and practice.Central questions to be answered by the project are: Which changes of work practices are driven forward by the corona crisis? In what way are bodily and technological dimensions of work re-configured and re-linked? Which conflicts emerge in the area of tension between the risk of virus infection and the risk of impairing work quality through physical distancing? How are these risk conflicts negotiated on the individual, organizational, and political level? By means of which regulation practices and governance forms do organizations and political institutions respond to the challenges? Which best practices can be identified to deal with areas of tension and risk conflicts?Beyond an analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 consequences, the project intends to improve the understanding how pandemics generally influence the world of work, contributing to develop preventive strategies of risk governance in times of (pandemic) crises. In addition, the project findings will serve to further develop sociological approaches to the change of work and the governance of society. Within the project, expertise in sociology of work is combined with perspectives from Science and Technology Studies and governance studies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Daniel Barben
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Ingo Matuschek; Professorin Dr. Sabine Pfeiffer