Glossary Flashcards
Life Chances
The likelihood that people born into a certain background will experience a certain event.
Blue Collar Jobs
Manual jobs that have lower pay and less security.
White Collar Jobs
Non manual jobs that have higher levels of pay, status and security. They also require more skill and education to access.
Instrumental Attitude
Work is a means to an end and there is little job satisfaction, you’re just working to get by rather than progress.
Zero Hours Contracts
A job contract with no set hours so if you don’t work, you don’t get paid, very insecure.
Reserve Army of Labour
A collection of workers that companies call on in times of boom but dismiss afterwards. Very insecure.
Equal Pay Act
Government legislation ensuring that men and women get paid equally for the same work.
Sex Discrimination Act
Government legislation making blatant sexism in places like the workplace illegal.
Glass Ceiling
When a woman can see the top jobs but is unable to access them due to her sex.
Part Time Penalty
When people in part time positions are exploited by not getting paid for breaks, paying for equipment needed for their job etc.
Industrialisation
When large industries employ vast numbers of people.
Role Allocation
When the right jobs are allocated to the right people as not everyone has the same abilities.
Functional Uniqueness
When a person’s job has taken them lots of training to get to such as a doctor and therefore, not everyone can do it.
Meritocracy
When your skill and effort allows you to access better jobs.
Instrumental Role
Roles that involve protection and providing.
Expressive Roles
Roles more focused on thoughts and feelings (women).
Means of Production
Where the goods are produced such as a factory.
Surplus Value
The profits from the work done by the proletariat.
False Class Consciousness
We have become aware of inequality and oppression, they blame themselves for less wealth and power but really is the capitalist system.
Hegemony
When one group has dominance over another through the media and education.
Divide & Rule
Turning the working class against each other so that they won’t unite and rebel. Eg. Programmes on ‘benefits scrounges’ make tax payers angry.
Patriarchy
The idea that men are dominant in terms of power in society.
Secondary Workers
Jobs that are given to people with low skill, they’re often low paid such as retail and fast food sectors.
