Work and vulnerability: the social question on Robert Castel’s thought

Abstract

The article emphasizes the centrality of the concept of work in the thought of the French sociologist Robert Castel. Despite being best known in Brazil for his concepts of social question and social disaffiliation, the concept of work is crucial in the articulation of the author's thought, notably in his latest writing. The article is divided into four parts. First, it provides a general introduction to the work of Castel. Then, it demonstrates how work can be considered the main social question of contemporary global capitalism. Following, it resumes the relationship between work and social vulnerability. The study concludes by pointing out the importance of understanding work as the main contemporary social issue.

Keywords

• Work. Social vulnerability. Social question. Social disaffiliation. Globalization.