Whose skill is it anyway? Soft skills and polarization

Grugulis, I.; Vincent, S.

Abstract

The skills that employers require are changing, with soft skills replacing technical ones. This article draws on two detailed case studies of outsourced public sector work, where these changes were particularly marked. Here, the new skills polarized the workforces. Highly skilled IT professionals were advantaged as soft skills gave them an additional dimension to their work, while benefit caseworkers with intermediate skills were disadvantaged since soft skills were presented as an alternative to technical competences. Women caseworkers suffered a double penalty, as not only were their technical skills devalued but many were confined to traditionally ‘feminine’ and unskilled work at the reception desk. Soft skills certainly aided the acknowledgement of women’s skills but they did nothing to increase their value.

Citation

Grugulis, I., & Vincent, S. (2009). Whose skill is it anyway? Soft skills and polarization. Work, Employment and Society, 23(4), 597-615. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017009344862

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2009
• Deposit Date: Jan 7, 2011
• Journal: Work, Employment and Society
• Print ISSN: 0950-0170
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-8722
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 597-615
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017009344862
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1513378