Chapter 13

Question 1

work vs job

Answer 1

work is work while a job is work for pay.

Question 2

what is the result of unpaid work?

Answer 2

women tend to be held responsible for and do more of the unpaid work around the house but since it is “unpaid” people deem this role as unimportant.

Question 3

what are the three sectors of the economy? define economy.

Answer 3

Economy is the institution that organizes the production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services. the three sectors:
1. primary (agriculture + mining, logging, fishing)
2. secondary (manufacturing/industry)
3. tertiary (services)

Question 4

what were the 3 economic revolutions

Answer 4

1. agriculture revolution
2. industrial revolution
3. postindustrial revolution

Question 5

define agricultural revolution

Answer 5

people made permanent settlements, started herding and farming, and productivity soared.
- it began ~10,000 years ago and led to stable human settlments.

Question 6

define the industrial revolution

Answer 6

• technological innovations
• manufacturing – dominant economic sector
• started in the late 1700s and was driven like steam engine and railroads

Question 7

define the postindustrial revolution

Answer 7

• automation of work
• service-dominant economic sector
• began in the 1970s and was driven by computerization and automation

Question 8

define productivity

Answer 8

productivity is the amount produced for every hour worked

Question 9

define market

Answer 9

market is the social relations that regulate exchange of goods and services.

Question 10

define division of labour

Answer 10

division of labour refers to the specialization of work tasks.
- the more specialized the work tasks in a society, the greater the division of labour.

Question 11

what is adam smith’s view on division of labour?

Answer 11

Adam Smith argued that the division of labor boosts productivity by allowing workers to specialize in specific tasks. This increases efficiency, saves time, and encourages innovation, leading to economic growth. However, it can also cause worker boredom, job insecurity, and income inequality. His ideas remain influential in modern economics and industry.

example used: In the factory, instead of each worker making an entire pin, the process was divided into specific tasks—such as drawing out wire, cutting it, and attaching the head. This specialization allowed workers to produce many more pins than if they tried to do all tasks themselves, showcasing how dividing work into smaller tasks increases efficiency.

Question 12

what are the downsides to the division of labour?

Answer 12

deskilling
- reduces the workers needs for specialized skills.
- as tasks become highly specialized and repetitive, workers perform simple, monotonous tasks rather than developing a wide range of skills. This can lead to deskilling, where workers become less skilled overall, as they focus on a single, narrow task.

Question 13

what defines good jobs?

Answer 13

• pays well
• not closely supervised and they encourage creativity
• pleasant working environment
• require higher education
• secure employment
• good benefits and promotion opportunities.

Question 14

what defines a bad job?

Answer 14

• pays poorly
• routine tasks under closer supervision
• unpleasant/dangerous working conditions.
• require little formal education
• insecure employment
• few benefits and advanced opportunities

Question 15

define precariat

Answer 15

a term to describe the growing class of people for who availability of work is uncertain and who earn low wages.

Question 16

define labour market segmentation

Answer 16

Labour market segmentation refers to the division of the labour market into distinct sub-markets or segments, each with its own set of characteristics, wage levels, and employment conditions, often influenced by factors like industry, skill level, or demographic group.

Question 17

what technology drove the postindustrial revolution?

Answer 17

the computer.

Question 18

how has the division of labour changed over time?

Answer 18

it has become increasingly complex with each economic revolution.

Question 19

what are professions?

Answer 19

jobs requiring long periods of study, often resulting in creative, well-paying work.

Question 20

what percentage of the canadian labour force works in the service sector today?

Answer 20

more than 3/4

Question 21

how have work relations changed as social complexity increased?

Answer 21

they have become more hierarchial, with superodiniates exercising authority over subordinates.

Question 22

what are the 4 main jobs in pre-agraian societies?

Answer 22

• hunting wild animals
• gathering edible wild plants
• raising children and tending to the tribe’s spiritual needs

Question 23

what is a dead-end job?

Answer 23

a job with few opportunities for promotion or advancement

Question 24

when did international exploration, trade, and commerce help stimulate the development of markets?

Answer 24

beginning in the 15th century

Question 25

how is market priced determined?

Answer 25

by supply (amount available) and demand (how much wanted)

Question 26

where did the industrial revolution begin

Answer 26

in england

Question 26

how quickly did the industrial revolution spread to other regions?

Answer 26

within a century, it spread to western europe, north america, russia, and japan.

Question 27

what has been the trend in service sector jobs since the 1970s?

Answer 27

a rapid increase due to computerization and automation.

Question 28

what is the relationship between increasing productivity and service sector jobs?

Answer 28

increasing productivity has led to an increase in the number of sector jobs.

Question 29

how many different kinds of jobs exist in postindustrial societies like canada?

Answer 29

tens of thousands.

Question 30

what is a modern example of a new skill created by increasing division of labour?

Answer 30

website design or laser eye surgery.

Question 31

how do professionals typically differ from other jobs?

Answer 31

they require long periods of study and often result in creative, well-paying work.

Question 32

how has the nature of superordinate work changed over time?

Answer 32

it has become more creative and lucrative.

Question 33

how has the nature of subordinate work changed over time?

Answer 33

it has become less creative and comparatively unrewarding financially.

Question 34

what is the significance of the "second machine age"

Answer 34

it refers to the radical transformation of human possibilities through digital technology

Question 35

what are some early indicators of the second machine age

Answer 35

google self-driving cars and computers beating himan jeopardy competitors.

Question 36

what secotrs might be affected by the second machine age?

Answer 36

- medicine - commerce - industry - entertainment - education

Question 37

what is potential negative consequences of the digital revolution

Answer 37

serious dislocations for some workers.

Question 38

what is a potential positive otucome of the digital revolution?

Answer 38

freeing many people from drudgery. (hard or dull work)

Question 39

how did shoshana zuboff study the effects of computerization on office work?

Answer 39

she asked workers to draw pictures of their job experience before and after computerization

Question 40

what was a common theme in the drawings of workers?

Answer 40

negative changes such as frowns, immobility, isolation, and regimation.

Question 41

what are the aspects of primary labour markey

Answer 41

1. primary labour market 2. secondary labour market

Question 42

define the primary labour market

Answer 42

Comprised mainly of highly skilled, well‐educated workers. They are employed in large corporations that enjoy high levels of capital investment. * Employment is secure. * Earnings are high. * Fringe benefits are generous. * Mostly large companies * (Thus, good jobs are mostly in this segment)

Question 43

define capitalism

Answer 43

a dominant economic system which has two distinctive features: 1. Private ownership of property 2. Competition in the pursuit of profit (i.e., a free market, with the ‘free‐ness’ of the market being variable among different countries)

Question 43

define the secondary labour market

Answer 43

Contains a disproportionately large number of women and members of ethnic minorities, particularly recent immigrants. Employees in the secondary labour market tend to be unskilled and lack higher education. * Employment is insecure. * Earnings are low. * Fringe benefits are meagre. * Mostly small companies * (Thus, bad jobs are mostly in this segment)

Question 44

define communism

Answer 44

Karl Marx envisioned a classless, utopian society that would emerge from capitalism, characterized by two key features: 1. **Public Ownership of Property**: All property would be collectively owned by society, with no private ownership—everything belongs to everyone. 2. **Government Planning of Production and Distribution**: The state would control the production and distribution of goods and services, eliminating markets, money, prices, and salaries. The guiding principle would be "from each according to ability, to each according to needs."

Question 45

define socialism

Answer 45

Socialism is an economic and political system where 1. the state owns and controls all property, meaning there are no private companies. 2. The government plans the production and distribution of goods and services, setting prices, quantities, and wages, eliminating market-driven forces. ex: Cuba, where the government owns most industries and controls the production and distribution of goods and services.

Question 46

define oligopolies

Answer 46

Giant corporations that together control part of an economy. * They are few in number and tend not to compete against one another much. * They can set prices at levels that are most profitable for them and force consumers to pay more for goods and services.