Date of Graduation
2006
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Workplace violence has always existed in the U.S.---indeed, during some periods of our history, fear, intimidation, and physical violence were commonplace in work settings. Contemporary expectations in industrialized democracies, however, are that all workers are entitled to a workplace free from recognized hazards. During the time period from the mid 1980s to the present, a range of actors from local, state, and Federal government, industry, labor, academic, as well as professional societies and organizations became active in the area of workplace violence. Government efforts have stopped short of regulatory efforts with an emphasis instead on symbolic and learning tools. The first aim of the study is to describe the evolution of workplace violence as an identified and recognized workplace safety issue in the U.S. Despite the dramatic increase in published literature and discussion of specific aspects of workplace violence, there has not been an effort to summarize the progression of this field since its contemporary "discovery" in the 1980s. The second aim is to use workplace violence as a mode for exploring the agenda setting and policy equilibrium literature with regard to an area where policy-making takes place, by and large, at a level below regular Congressional involvement. The third, and final, aim of this study is to explore whether the characterization of the field of workplace violence as one of "active inaction" is accurate and if this appears to be a typical path from "discovery" to policy for occupational safety and health issues more broadly or should be regarded as a special case.
Recommended Citation
Watson Jenkins, Eleanor Lynn, "Active inaction: Symbolic politics, agenda denial or incubation period. Twenty years of United States workplace violence research and prevention activity." (2006). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 9988.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/9988