Chapter 9 - Work, Occupations, and the Economy

Question 1

What is the relationship between the bourgeoisie and proletariat under capitalism according to Marx?

Answer 1

The bourgeoisie own the means of production and proletariats sell their labour for a wage.

Question 2

What does Marx mean by ‘surplus value’?

Answer 2

Surplus value is extracted from labour when workers produce more value than they are paid.

Question 3

Define alienation in the context of Marx’s theories.

Answer 3

Alienation is the process of feeling disconnected from something that was previously well-known and familiar.
* This idea contributes the the idea of work under capitalism being alienation

Question 4

List the four types of alienation identified by Marx.

Answer 4

• Alienation from the product of labour
• Alienation from the labour process
• Alienation from oneself
• Alienation from other workers

Question 5

What is the defining feature of society according to Weber?

Answer 5

The quest for rationalization.
* focuses on how work places get organized based off of the number of employee present

Question 6

What are the characteristics of bureaucratic organizations as defined by Weber?

Answer 6

• Hierarchy
• Vertical command chain
• Formal division of labour
• Technical qualifications
• Formal decision-making processes

Question 7

Differentiate between mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity as described by Durkheim.

Answer 7

• Mechanical solidarity: found in pre-industrial economies
• Organic solidarity: found in industrial economies

Question 8

What does labour process theory seek to explain?

Answer 8

The structural effects of the capitalist organization of labour on workers as they struggle for autonomy and control over their labour and skills.
* the idea that someone who helps to organize work comes up with a scientific process to make work a lot more efficient (this is done by extracting more surplus from workers)

Question 9

What is the goal of scientific management?

Answer 9

To increase control of the labour process by automating skill and dividing workers and production into small specialized tasks.

Question 10

What critique did Braverman offer regarding scientific management?

Answer 10

Braverman argued that capitalist production alienates workers through deskilling.

Question 11

What aspect did Burawoy’s study highlight about workers on the factory shop floor?

Answer 11

Workers actively participate in processes of negotiation, termed ‘making out’.

Question 12

What are the specific traits of professions such as lawyers and doctors?

Answer 12

• Advanced credentials
• Specialized knowledge
• Lengthy induction or mentoring programmes
• Licensing
• High autonomy, authority, pay, and social status

Question 13

What does post-industrial society refer to?

Answer 13

A shift in economic focus from manufacturing to knowledge-based work.
* This is the idea that globalization is happening cause factories are moving into areas where production is cheaper

Question 14

In what ways has employment changed in the late 20th century?

Answer 14

• Shift from manufacturing goods to providing services
• More people employed in service jobs like retail, education, healthcare
• Rise in self-employment
• Requirement of emotional labour

Question 15

What does the term ‘vertical mosaic’ describe?

Answer 15

The uneven distribution of social class along lines of ethnicity in 1960’s Canada.

Question 16

What are some challenges faced by Uber in the context of the taxi industry?

Answer 16

Fair wages and benefits for drivers.

Question 17

What ideological shift does the transition to ‘new’ and ‘post-Fordist’ work mirror?

Answer 17

The neoliberal ideology of privatizing state resources, marketization of social services, and individualism.

Question 18

True or False: The shift to new forms of work is universally seen as beneficial for workers.

Answer 18

False.

Question 19

Fill in the blank: The organization and experience of work is shaped by a variety of social inequalities, including _______.

Answer 19

[class, race, gender]

Question 20

What is neoliberalism characterized by?

Answer 20

• Deregulation
• Privatization
• Trade liberalization
• Shrinking of the state
• Cutbacks to social spending
• Individualism

Neoliberalism is a political and economic philosophy that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise and the importance of individual entrepreneurship.

Question 21

Define non-standard work.

Answer 21

Lacks stability and fringe benefits; often temporary, part-time, or refers to the self-employed or housework.

Non-standard work contrasts with traditional full-time employment that typically includes benefits.

Question 22

What characterizes precarious work?

Answer 22

Uncertain, low-paying, impermanent, and limited in entitlements and social benefits.

Precarious work often lacks the security and benefits associated with standard employment.

Question 23

Who is most affected by the rise of precarious employment?

Answer 23

• Young workers
• Recent immigrants
• Indigenous and First Nations workers
• Women
• Persons with disabilities
• Those with low levels of education and training

These groups are particularly vulnerable to precarious employment due to systemic inequalities.

Question 24

What is the gig economy?

Answer 24

Procurement of contract labourers for short-term assignments, often aided by technology.

The gig economy refers to a labor market characterized by short-term contracts or freelance work.

Question 25

What does the sharing economy involve?

Answer 25

A hybrid system of exchange where consumers interact to exchange goods at optimal savings and efficiency. ## Footnote The sharing economy can include platforms like Airbnb or Uber, where individuals share resources.

Question 26

What impact does automation have on employment?

Answer 26

It poses a threat to the existence of many jobs. ## Footnote Automation can lead to job displacement as machines and software may replace human labor.

Question 27

How has the transformation of work affected education?

Answer 27

* More education required for many jobs * Occupations have become more competitive * Some occupations have raised credential requirements * Increasing levels of specialization ## Footnote The demand for higher education and specialized skills has increased due to the changing job landscape.

Question 28

What is the traditional division of labor?

Answer 28

Male breadwinner, female homemaker. ## Footnote This traditional model has evolved, with more women participating in the workforce.

Question 29

What is the 'second shift' in relation to work and family?

Answer 29

Women in the paid workforce still do more household labor. ## Footnote The term 'second shift' describes the additional domestic responsibilities women often take on after their formal workday.

Question 30

What are the motherhood penalty and fatherhood premium?

Answer 30

* Motherhood penalty: women are penalized in wages for having children * Fatherhood premium: men are rewarded for having children ## Footnote These concepts highlight the gender disparities in the workplace related to parenting.

Question 31

What is the impact of precarious work on individuals?

Answer 31

* Mental health * Capacity to form intimate relationships * Ability to have children * Sense of belonging in communities ## Footnote The consequences of precarious work extend beyond economic instability.

Question 32

What does intersectionality refer to in the context of work?

Answer 32

The complex interplay of class, gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, parental status, and ability. ## Footnote Intersectionality helps to understand how various social identities intersect to shape individual experiences in the workplace.

Question 33

What is the glass escalator?

Answer 33

Men in female-dominated careers tend to get fast-tracked to promotions. ## Footnote This phenomenon highlights gender disparities in career advancement.

Question 34

True or False: Black male nurses experience the glass escalator in the same way as their white male colleagues.

Answer 34

False ## Footnote An intersectional lens reveals that race affects the experience of the glass escalator.

Question 35

What does Marx' labour theory state?

Answer 35

* That workers gain value based off the work that they produce

Question 36

What is an example of achieve status within the idea of work and the economy?

Answer 36

An achieved status in this field focuses on the thought that anyone can create a buisness * However it is thought by some people that not everyone has this opppertunities due to the inability to meet financial needs which are needed to reach this goal

Question 37

Outline how Marx believes that alienation physically occurs in a work place?

Answer 37

* individuals sell themselves for an income * Low paying jobs are seen to not produce satisfaction for the worker * We are excluded for the things that we actually create and we do not have control on the physical labour process

Question 38

Define the term rationalization

Answer 38

* A process of doing things that are based on traditions and emotion rather than standard rules * This is the idea of a common set of rules that applies to everyone (hence fourth, nothing should influence this from person to person, not even race, culture, etc.)

Question 39

Define the term Bureaucracy

Answer 39

* the study of the different levels that are present based off of the amount of rules that provide organization to the points where a business becomes inefficent

Question 40

How does Weber focus on bureauracy?

Answer 40

* He examined that over time we need more and more rules to keep things in order over time.

Question 41

Describe what is meant by mechanical solidarity by Durkheim?

Answer 41

* This is this is the idea that everyone did different jobs that were a lot more similar * people shared common values or interests because they lived similar lives

Question 42

Describe what is meant by organic solidarity by Durkheim?

Answer 42

* This is the idea that within the modern society our experiences are very different * We are interdependent on each other in society in order for society to function overall as a whole * This provided a sense of deattachment from each other and that it is not easy to find a common ground

Question 43

List the different Traditional prespectives of Work

Answer 43

* Marx Alienation * Webers theory of Rationalization and Bureaucracy * Durkheim mechanical and organic solidarity

Question 44

What are some critiques of the Labour Processes? Briefly describe each critique.

Answer 44

* Deskilling - this is a form of alienation that causes workers to feel no personal connection to the job that they are performing * Manufacturing consent - Looks at to what extent do workers consider them selves creative and the link to what they are doing

Question 45

What are the two aspects of manufacturing consent? (SEE IF THERE ARE ACTUAL NAMES FOR THESE PROCESSES)

Answer 45

* Looks at smaller ways that work is resisted (the idea of unions) * This career movement is also a form of resistance where the individuals tries to move up the company

Question 46

Define emotional labour

Answer 46

* this is the idea that people may have some emotion that they have to handle in the work place