Stephen Sweet is the author of numerous books and articles that focus on the intersections between work, family, and community. By studying the connections between these different institutions, his research highlights the strains jobs can introduce in family lives, how families respond to these strains and the ways work contributes to individual and family potentials. His research also examines how work opportunities are allocated, and how the nature of job designs influence community development and family experiences across the life course. In addition, he has performed research on the causes of fraternity hazing.
Much of his research has been conducted in association with the Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College, where he serves as a visiting scholar. In his most recent book, he and his coauthors reveal the chasms that separate workers from meaningful, stable and economically rewarding careers. They argue that individuals, grassroots organizations, employers, unions, governments and the international community can all play a part in making an economy that better serves the interests of working families.