Debating labour process theory: The issue of subjectivity and the relevance of poststructuralism

This paper locates labour process theory in broader sociological debates co ncerned with the action-structure dualism before examining three broad prog rammes for research that have emerged in response to the question of subjec tivity and agency. Whereas the 'orthodox' school tends to re-assert the str ucturalist and economistic features of Marx, the 'anti-realist' or deconstr uctionist position invites the abandonment of analysis that has traditional ly been orientated by the polarities of 'structure' and 'agency'. We identi fy and develop a third, 'hybrid position' one that is informed by poststruc turalist insights but does not neglect or reject established traditions of 'modern' sociology and labour process research. Critical examinations of tw o recent studies of 'subjectivity and the labour process' - Mike Sosteric's (1996) case study of a night club and Douglas Ezzy's (1997) paper on 'good work' - are undertaken to show how poststructuralist insights may offer an instructive way of understanding how subjectivity is co-implicated in the accomplishment and reproduction of capitalist employment relations.