Creative Labour: Media Work in Three Cultural Industries
By David Hesmondhalgh and Sarah Baker
'A major new study of creative labour. This is an important book
that will become a classic in the field. Required reading for anyone
interested in the nature, experience and quality of work in the
media and cultural industries.'
Rosalind Gill, Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis, King's
College London
'After a long drought we're beginning to see a welcome trickle of
scholarship examining the production side of the media. But few if
any of these have brought to bear the degree of theoretical subtlety
combined with empirical engagement of this book, so it will
immediately take a central place on the still too-short list of
required reading for those wishing to understand the nature of
creative labor. This will be a model for others to emulate, in its
clarity of thought and expression, thoroughness of analysis, and
respect for the particularities of the lives it explores. I can only
hope that it receives ample flattery of imitation by inspiring
others to follow in its footsteps'.
Larry Gross, Professor and Director, The Annenberg School for
Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California
'The "creative industries" have become central to hopes for the
reconstruction of western economies, and understanding how they work
and what it means to work in them is a vital task for anyone
interested in the future of culture, the media or employment. The
authors have combined original research into 'creative labour' with
a comprehensive theoretical and conceptual analysis to make a major
contribution to this understanding. Anyone interested in the
so-called creative or cultural industries will find this book
essential reading. '
Peter Golding, Professor and Pro-Vice Chancellor, Northumbria University
'Hesmondhalgh and Baker's thorough and intelligent analysis of the
nature and experience of work in television, magazine publishing and
music, draws-out the characteristic features and the ambiguities of
work inherent in these segments of the economy. Their close
examination of the meaning of "good" and "bad" work takes the
discussion onto another plane and makes the book of wide
contemporary relevance across the economy as a whole'.
John Storey, Professor of Human Resource Management at The Open
University Business School
What is it like to work in the media? Are media jobs more 'creative'
than those in other sectors? To answer these questions, this book
explores the creative industries, using a combination of original
research and a synthesis of existing studies.
Through its close analysis of key issues - such as tensions between
commerce and creativity, the conditions and experiences of workers,
alienation, autonomy, self-realisation, emotional and affective
labour, self-exploitation, and how possible it might be to produce
'good work' - Creative Labour makes a major contribution to our
understanding of the media, of work, and of social and cultural
change. In addition, the book undertakes an extensive exploration of
the creative industries, spanning numerous sectors including
television, music and journalism.
This book provides a comprehensive and accessible account of life in
the creative industries in the 21st century. It is a major piece of
research and a valuable study aid for both undergraduate and
postgraduate students of subjects including business and management
studies, sociology of work, sociology of culture, and media and
communications.
Table of Contents
Introduction: can creative labour be good work? Part 1 2. A model of
good and bad work 3. The specificity of creative labour Part 2 4.
The management of autonomy, creativity and commerce 5. Pay, hours,
security, involvement, esteem and freedom 6. Creative careers,
self-realisation and sociality 7. Emotional and affective labour 8.
Creative products, good and bad 9. Audiences, quality and the
meaning of creative work 10. The politics of good and bad work
Author Biographies
David Hesmondhalgh is Head of the Institute of Communications
Studies at the University of Leeds, where he is Professor of Media
and Music Industries, Director of Research, and Head of the Media
Industries Research Centre (MIRC). His publications include The
Cultural Industries (2nd edition, 2007).
Sarah Baker is Lecturer in Cultural Sociology at Griffith
University, Australia. She has previously held research fellowships
at The Open University and University.
