4. Work, Upskilling and Polarization

1. Examine critically the grounds upon which Bell advanced his upskilling thesis.

2. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Bell's upskilling thesis.

3. Consider the view that the gender dimension is the main weakness of Bell's study.

4. How convincing is the evidence for the polarization of skills thesis?

5. Has the upskilling trend in post-industrial societies been exaggerated?

6. Discuss the claim that the unevenness of skill trends precludes the possibility of an overall pattern.

7. Compare and contrast the contributions of Braverman and Bell to the issue of skill trends.