Deck 16: B: Work and the Political Economy

Question 1

What is meant by McJobs? Give an example.

Answer 1

McJobs refers to secondary labour market jobs.These types of jobs are often insecure and temporary,paid hourly wages,and only rarely offer any training to advance one's positions.Members of minority groups are disproportionately found in secondary labour markets.Such jobs are supposedly "efficient," "predictable," "calculable," and "controllable," which devalues,demeans,and oppresses workers.
Examples will vary,but may include service workers of all types.

Question 2

How is the federal gun registry program an example of Weber's fear of irrational bureaucracy?

Answer 2

In 1995,the federal government instituted the Firearms Act (Bill 68)to help protect Canadians from illegal gun use.To manage the process,the government created a gun registry program that would cost roughly $2 million per year to run.However,by 2005,the Auditor General confirmed that the program had cost $946 million over the previous 10 years.Although the logic behind the program made some sense,the bureaucracy that was created to manage what should have been a simple registration process ballooned into a nightmare-both for people trying to register their guns and the government trying to manage the process.

Question 3

What are some of the positive developments that have come from Canada's recognizing Aboriginal people's inherent right to self-government?

Answer 3

Answers will vary,but should include a discussion of the agreements that provide self-government for various bands,including the transfer of control of various programs;the Nisga'a agreement;and the establishment of Nunavut in April 1999 as a clear indication of the federal government continuing to seek greater autonomy for Aboriginal peoples.

Question 4

According to Weber,what is the relationship between power,domination,and authority? Give an example of how this operates in the work environment.

Question 5

Socialism and communism are not the same thing.Discuss the differences in terms of Marx's ideas of communism.

Question 6

Discuss the reasons for the shift to part-time work.Who is most likely to be doing this work?

Question 7

According to Weber,why do people in power need to legitimate their position rather than just use force to maintain control,and what do they need to establish in order to do so?

Question 8

How do conflict theorists view the relationship between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie?

Question 9

Compare and contrast primary and secondary labour market jobs.Give an example of each.

Question 10

As a post-structuralist,discuss the effects of the 1969 White Paper on Aboriginal status and its ensuing repercussions.

Question 11

What was the key finding of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples,released by the Canadian government in 1996?

Question 12

Define the primary sector,the secondary sector,and the tertiary sector.A professor would fall under which sector and why?

Question 13

Explain Weber's three types of authority: traditional,rational-legal,and charismatic,and apply them to a current political event.

Question 14

Explain why there was little social inequality in hunting and gathering societies.

Question 15

Conflict theorists believe that when work is no longer in the hands of the worker,the worker then becomes alienated.Explain and give an example from modern life.