Workplace hierarchies—What can a sociological viewpoint teach us about dominance hierarchies within the workplace? How can such hierarchies be crafted in order to find a balance between workplace stability and employee marginalization?
Workplace culture—In which ways can we see the workplace as its own unique culture, having its own jargon, customs, and rituals? What can we do to cultivate workplace cultures that are more functional for employees?
Distance traveled between work and home—What are the challenges faced by workers all across the world as suburbanization expands and the distance traveled to the workplace increases? Can this be addressed through telecommuting and a more technologically liberated workplace?
Required job skills and training—What can our society do to better equip workers with those important skill sets that enable economic success? How can employers partner with government in terms of cultivating workers with higher levels of skill?
Technology—In which ways has technology made the workplace more productive? What are the possible downsides to an increasingly technological workplace? For example, do we see technology replacing workers or displacing them to lower skilled jobs?
Workplace and gender—How does social science in general, and sociology in particular, address the issues of gender equity in the workplace? How does the current job market demonstrate the subscription to traditional gender scripts?
Issues of inequality—In what ways do wage gaps across racial, gender, and ethnic lines perpetuate inequality domestically and abroad? What are some key ways to address this wage inequality?
Employee job security—Should employees be given more rights that enable job security? What would sociologists say about a society that depends upon “at will” employees, versus those who are given due process before being terminated or demoted?
Globalization—What are the historical origins of globalization and what are the current trends? How has globalization influenced productivity here in the United States? What has been the impact of globalization upon worker security and wages?
Work/life balance—In what ways can employees become their own advocates for a better work/life balance? How can employees and employers work together to strike a careful balance between a productive work environment and one that does not burn out employees?
Present your ideal workplace design including the main ideas and findings expressed in your paper via presentation using PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Prezi.