Lecture 4: Ulrich Beck’s Risk society at work: flexible working & ‘risky’ employment

Question 1

Working in a risk society

What is fordism?

Answer 1

A way of producing products for mass production of consumer goods.

Question 2

Working in a risk society

Post-fordist economy

Answer 2

• insecurities, uncertainties, loss of boundaries between work/non- work
• jobs are ‘detraditionalised’ – ‘flexible’worksites/hours

• workers need to forge own careers
(flexible specialisation)

Question 3

Flexibility in the labour market

Answer 3

non-standard’ work:
– part-time, temporary, casual

• championed by managers & governments

• shift from Fordism?
– evidence of post-fordism?
– adapting labour inputs to changed circumstances
Flexible specialisation

Question 4

Working in a risk society

lower wage jobs

Answer 4

• contracting-out
• temporary, part-time work
• no overtime
• loss of benefits
• zero hours contracts
• “Flexible, pluralised forms of underemployment are spreading” (Beck 1992, 142)

Question 5

Working in a risk society

higher wage jobs

Answer 5

• freelancing
• ‘flexible’ working hours
• performance-related pay & monitoring
• ‘always on’ cultures

Question 6

Reflexive modernisation

Answer 6

“From the perspective of the employees, the risks accompanying the forms of underemployment compete with the partial freedom and sovereignty gained in being able to arrange their own lives” (Beck 1992, 148)

Question 7

Zero hours contracts

Answer 7

• retail and catering dominant
• no-guaranteed-hours contracts
• workforce is:
– most likely to be women, students in full-time
education or working part-time
– more likely to be aged under 25, or 65 & over
• 1/3 of people want more hours

Question 8

What 3 principles did fordism allow for?

Answer 8

1. Made way for a deskilled labour force
2. It centralised manager supervision of the deskilled labour force
3. Located capital in specific locations- Detroit, NYC etc to grow more industry/ business

Question 9

Where did Fordism come about?

Answer 9

Henry Ford in Detroit- his use of the assembly line to produce vehicles easily and effectively.

Question 10

What did the assembly line do?

Answer 10

Made jobs in the factories much more basic, it deskilled the labour.
Empowered the employers but not the employees- easily fire and hire.

Question 11

Who did people like Ford and other mass producers supply to?

Whats todays market like?

Answer 11

They targeted the huge working class and middle class sector (the people that worked for them could buy what they made).

More niche market.

Question 12

What does an “agglomeration of businesses” mean?

Answer 12

A build up of similar businesses of one industry in one location.

For example, car industry in Detroit, 1930s-1970s all car parts were built there.

No waiting around- very quick production.

Question 13

When did Fordism take place?

Answer 13

1930s- 1970s

Question 14

Why did Fordism hit a crisis in the 1970s?

Answer 14

1) In the Middle East, where the bulk of oil was controlled, the OPEC cartel formed which limited supply of oil to global economy. Drastically rising prices and shocking economy/ industry.
2) The rise in global industry competitors.
3) Overproduction

Question 15

What are the main distinctions in post-Fordism?

Answer 15

1) It decreased overhead- meaning businesses could not afford their managers, required employees to supervise themselves (labour force taking responsibility for quality)
2) Limited stock- to keep costs low, if products sold THEN they would sell more (less risk).
3) “Just in time” production
4) Sourcing of products and labour elsewhere in the world where it’s cheaper