Deck 10: The Working Environment

Question 1

What aspect of work does Durkheim's concept of anomie (see also Chapters 16 and 9)and Marx's idea of alienation analyse similarly?

A)Agree with the division of labour
B)Predict the demise of the capitalist system
C)Argue the division of labour is responsible for unfulfilling work
D)Argue the imposition of change embedded tension in capital worker relations

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In less than 500 words,describe 'affirmative action' in an Australian context.

Answer 2

Student response could identify a definition of affirmative action,statistical information that supports the need for affirmative action and describe an example to demonstrate the arguments for and against affirmative action.

Question 3

Make a list of short sentences that describe the welfare state and explain its relevance in an Australian context to a sociological analysis of work.

Answer 3

Student response could identify the welfare services that form social protection in the Australian context; for example public hospitals,schools,employment assistance,pensions,and family allowances.Explain the connection between work and welfare.

Question 4

Which of the statements below was NOT associated with the transformation of work at the time of the industrial revolution?

A)There was the emergence of an industrial class that included women and children
B)Wealth produced by the economy grew and profit transformed economic relations
C)Wage earners started to form organisations to protect themselves that were like early trade unions
D)There was a model of subsistence farming and cottage industries whereby individuals were tied to place and employment

Question 5

The gender gap,that is the difference between the earnings of all full-time wage earning women employees and all full-time wage earning men,is underpinned by:

A)Gender segregation
B)The living wage
C)The labour movement
D)The double burden

Question 6

Using your own workplace as an example,consider the extent to which you feel alienated.State clearly and briefly the reasons why you consider this alienation occurs,with reference to relevant ideas in the chapter,such as Fordism or Taylorism.

Question 7

To what do sociologists Bittman and Pixley (1997)refer to as the 'double burden'?

A)When women are in paid employment,and have to undertake unpaid work in the home as well
B)When workers have to continually retrain and gain professional qualifications even after they have completed a degree
C)The way that women tend to work in lower-paid jobs and are also more likely to be discriminated against in the workplace
D)When people of low socioeconomic status need to undertake two paid jobs in order to meet financial obligations

Question 8

Social expectations and industrial awards meant that women in Australia did participate in work outside the home in the mid-20th century era.

Question 9

Sociological analysis of industrial relations shows all of the following EXCEPT:

A)In the United States,industrial relations relies more upon local bargaining between firms and workers than on unions
B)Austria and Sweden are good examples of highly centralised or corporatist industrial relations systems
C)The effectiveness of strikes lies in their ability to prevent employers from profiting during work stoppages
D)It is the legal right of workers in any country to strike and to hold secondary boycotts

Question 10

Select the theory about work that is described INCORRECTLY:

A)Taylorism involves the rationalisation of work which is managed by experts and studied according to scientific principles
B)Fordism involves standardisation of output,mass workforces of semiskilled workers and rapid automation
C)According to Max Weber,service work demands a great deal of emotional labour
D)According to Marx,capitalism degrades work through automation,managerial control and deskilling

Question 11

Conflicts over work,unemployment and social inequalities also put tremendous pressure on governments to expand other forms of social protection.With reference to this statement and using an Australian case study as an example,examine the relationship between work conflicts and government.

Question 12

What did Weber argue in relation to changes to work in his essay,The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism?

A)That a cultural-religious shift was a necessary component of the social change that led to capitalist society
B)That institutions such as class,race,gender and sexuality play a role in reproducing unequal outcomes at work
C)That the transformation of work under capitalism is responsible for anomie
D)That there is a conflict between the two classes of the working people and the bourgeoisie which arises from the workers' alienation

Question 13

What was unique about industrial relations in Australia in the 20th century?

A)The protection of employers
B)The protection of income levels for women
C)The protection of foreign workers
D)The protection of income levels for men

Question 14

Work practices that emphasise teamwork,job satisfaction and diversification in outputs are known as:

A)Fordism
B)Post-Fordism
C)Taylorist organisation
D)The new economy

Question 15

What did Ehrenreich's (2001)research show middle-management and low-paid work have in common?

A)Labour saving technologies
B)Physical effort
C)Organisational skills
D)Emotional effort

Question 16

When did manufacturing first start in Australia?

A)1788
B)1870
C)1901
D)1930

Question 17

Which statement below best describes what is meant by Fordism?

A)A system whereby production is organised around mass productivity lines with the removal of labour's control over the process of production
B)It refers to Henry Ford,because he demonstrated industrial innovation to develop the motor car
C)Taylorist organisation
D)A system that experienced its heyday in the aftermath of WWII

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the decline of Australian unionism as suggested by Peetz (1998)?

A)More women in the workforce changed the dynamics of workplaces previously dominated by men
B)Economic reform which increased a casual workforce and reduced the public sector workforce
C)Corporate tactics and government reforms became tougher and this shifted adversarial industrial relations
D)Unions lost capacity at lower levels on the 'shop floor'

Question 19

The modern factory which emerged with the industrial revolution was a change to the organisation of work for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A)A more efficient organisation of work was encouraged
B)The slow removal of artisans from the workplace commenced at this point
C)Religious values were incorporated into the workplace
D)Work was centralised,as was the workforce

Question 20

Unemployment and underemployment can lead to all of the following EXCEPT:

A)Isolation
B)Social participation
C)Social exclusion
D)Inequality

Question 21

Which of the following expectations are embedded in welfare though the concept of mutual obligation?

A)The expectation that welfare recipients are exhausted
B)The expectation that welfare recipients manage their payments
C)The expectation that welfare recipients are grateful
D)The expectation that welfare recipients earn their payments

Question 22

Imagine the proposal put by Offe and Gorz to guarantee a minimum income without the expectation of working was to be debated in the Commonwealth House of Representatives.Outline the arguments for and against.

Question 23

What radical solution did Offe and Gorz propose to joblessness?

A)Make everyone who is unemployed or underemployed go to work,even if they do not have any tasks to do when they are there
B)Make retraining mandatory,and free,so that people who are out of work can change career more easily and find work again
C)Guarantee a minimum income without the expectation of needing to work for it
D)Provide counselling for everyone who is unemployed or underemployed to ensure they are motivated to return to work

Question 24

Briefly list some of the key sociological problems associated with individuals that are unemployed or underemployed.