WPW - Topic 5 Flashcards
What does Gini (1988) say about work?
Work is more than producing goods or services.
— Within work, you are expected to develop yourself, as well as provide a service.
— You ‘become’ your job role
In what ways is work significant to individuals?
1) Occupying time
— Working tends to take up most of our day/ week/ life
2) Social identity
— Majority of people at some point experience work.
— It is one of the things we all share as adults.
— We often use ‘work’ as a signpost of adulthood.
3) Status
— Our work can determine our status and in most cases, our social class
4) Non-discretionary
— Some of us don’t have a choice
— We need to work to earn money and to maintain our identity
5) Secondary Socialisation
— We are socialised at work - developing norms and values, as well as developing social cohesion
6) Facilitates leisure
— We can afford leisure, can force us to take on leisure time
— Work defines leisure, which also contributes to our sense of identity
7) Self-esteem
— Work often makes us feel accomplished
— Some people value their job and believe their job reflect their personality and value
— This can be explained based on some of the demanding roles that exist in work which require elements of their personal identity (eg. social worker, nurse, teacher, psychologist)
What is leisure?
Activities done in ‘spare time’ / out of work hours
What does Parker (1971,1976) say about leisure?
According to Parker, our occupations have important influences on our leisure activities.
The way we experience work and how we engage at work determines our leisure time.
EVALUATION/ CRITICISMS: Parker
Roberts; Clarke and Critcher
— Parker ignores the choices that people can make in regards to leisure activities
— Parker fails to mention that leisure activities can vary even within those who share the same occupation
McIntosh (1988); Deem (1990) - FEMINISTS
— Parker ignores the influence of gender on leisure activities
— The focus tends to be on full-time male workers
— As women mainly work part-time, they’re leisure is more so influenced by domestic labour / juggling the dual burden of
What is the end of work thesis?
> Doherty (2009)
— According to Doherty, work has in fact lost its significance in people’s lives
— Due to deskilling, degradation and alienation, there is little incentive to be attached to work
What are life chances?
Life chances are the opportunities people have to gain what they desire and avoid the undesirables throughout all societies.
— As most people work to earn money, it cannot be ignored that work can define our social class.
— If life chances are affected by our class, work can also have a major influence
In what ways can work influence life chance?
+ Fitness of physical and mental health - those of working age tend to have better physical and mental health.
+ Educational opportunities for children - children have roles to aspire to; parents may also be able to afford educational support in and out of school to enhance their achievement.
+ Better diet - potentially, with a steady income, those who work can afford a suitable and regular diet.
+ Better housing - most people that work can afford suitable shelter for themselves; some people can afford to move on to better accommodation / fix faults.
What is Globalisation?
The process by which the world has and is becoming increasingly interconnected.
+ Societies across the world can communicate at any time and in various ways + communication is immediate.
+ Jobs, money, technology and raw materials can move across national borders quickly and easily.
What is the difference between standard and non-standard jobs?
> Standard Jobs
— Permanent
— Full-time
— Well paid
— Well qualified
— Well training
> Non-standard Jobs
— Temporary / seasonal / zero-hour
— Part time
— Paid only if needed
What does Edgell (2011) say about ‘Wage Penalty’?
> Edgell (2011)
Globalisation has contributed to the rise in non-standard jobs.
— This is because of the growing international demands and competition.
Edgell highlights that those in non-standard jobs suffer a ‘wage penalty’.
— This wage penalty is on average 15%
Temporary workers, agency staff, zero-hour contracts deny workers access to paid sick leave or paid holiday.
+ These workers in particular are also more likely to have inflexible, repetitive tasks such as night and weekend shifts; in addition to taking up these tasks to increase pay.
According to Edgell, outsourcing leads to potential unemployment. How is this the case?
— It doesn’t hire people from the domestic country that need employment as a result of hiring people elsewhere in the world for lower wages - eliminates jobs from the domestic workforce.
— The low-skilled jobs involving repetitive manual labor have been outsourced either to cheap labor abroad or to technology. As a result, entire towns and communities that relied on assembly lines and factories have become virtual ghost towns.
What is Castell’s (2010) and Beck’s (200) stance on how globalisation has affected work?
Explain the effects that migration has on work?
One of the effects of globalisation has been migration.
As globalisation is a worldwide process, majority of the nation have experienced an influx of migration over the last few decades - mainly for work.
One of the biggest migration movements that Britain had seen in the 20th century was Windrush.
— However, this was a request of the British Government in aid of rebuilding Britain after WWII and replenishing the workforce.
How has migration affected contemporary society?
Globalisation has impacted the flow of workers to and from the UK.
> Gratton (2012)
— Transnationals are the result of globalisation on work
