Chapter Overview

Chapter 8 of Reading Culture introduces various selections regarding the all-important but hard-to-understand subject of work. As you go through the chapter, you will read about some of the cultural, social, and economic implications of work. You will be asked to think and write about the role that work plays in American culture and in your own life. For example, how is your identity tied to your work as a student, as an employee?

This Companion Website contains activities and readings that extend the selections in the book. The Web Exercises investigates sweatshop economy, globalization, and social networks. Wired Culture looks at glocalization practices, while the Film Clip explores famous narrators. Visual Culture Online offers links to work photo galleries, and finally, Mining the Web presents archival material for differing perspectives on the controversies surrounding sweatshops.