'Managing' Stress

Managing Stress offers a fresh perspective on the pervasive issue of workplace stress by challenging the notion that stress is merely an unavoidable aspect of modern work life. The authors, Tim Newton, Stephen Fineman, and Jocelyn Handy, invite readers to reconsider stress not simply as an individual failing to cope but as an outcome deeply embedded in the emotional, social, and political fabric of organizational life. Drawing on diverse theoretical frameworks - from labor process theory to insights influenced by thinkers like Foucault and Elias - this volume critically examines the historical evolution of the dominant stress discourse in contemporary psychology and beyond. In doing so, it questions standard stress management interventions that focus on molding employees to become ‘stress-fit’ and highlights the collective production of stressful work environments, including the significant role of gender dynamics and emotion management practices. Published in 2005 by Sage Publications Ltd, Managing Stress is a thought-provoking work that not only deconstructs established paradigms but also suggests alternative pathways for understanding and addressing stress within the workplace.