ABSTRACT
Much of the interest in looking at work careers can be traced to the contributions of an influential group of Chicago sociologists, in particular those working with Everett Hughes, who brought the study of people’s stories to the social sciences. Their accounts of the life histories of inhabitants of Chicago – ordinary people, often but not always those living at the edges of society – introduced concepts to sociology such as “career contingencies, career timetables, and career lines. Those who study career come from a very broad set of disciplines and interests. Indeed careers have been a central interest of people in general, probably since humans emerged as sentient beings. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
