Thinking Allowed - 20/01/2010

Twitter, Broadband, BlackBerries, Globalisation - are they all forces ranged against out traditional concept of work or does a deeper analysis favour continuity over change? Laurie Taylor discusses the workplace of the future with Richard Donkin, author of The Future of Work, and with Kevin Doogan from Bristol University. Are we all set to become 'portfolio workers' or is the factory system in place since the Industrial Revolution and the office 9 to 5 set to continue for a while yet. Also, what have you been doing with your teddy lately? Schools have begun sending young children home with teddy bears to write diaries of their shared experiences over holidays or half-terms. So widespread has this practice become that children as far apart as China and Norway are jotting down the daily experiences they share with these teds. A unique opportunity for a sociologist to compare childhood experiences in these two places. Laurie's guest Randi Waerdahl talks about her research.