Lesson 3: Work, Labour and Precariousness

Question 1

What is the historical standard of living improvement from 1800 to 1900 compared to rest of history?

Answer 1

Improvements compared to majority of human history shows it takes 300/400 years for improvement; but in 1800-1900 alone it improved by 600%.

Question 2

How much higher is the real income of a person in Britain today compared to 1780?

Answer 2

At least 12 times higher.

Question 3

(It underlined the process of industrialisation - with steam engines be

What was work like in the pre-industrial society?

Answer 3

• Slow increase in division of labour
  
  • Accompanied by new forms of education
• Labour was typically unfree
  
  • However, slavery; serfdom; bonded service
• Work was regarded negatively
  
  • Non-manual work enjoyed greater prestige, wealth, and power: hence there was a class divide
• Wage labour was uncommon
  
  • Most common in (seasonal) agricultural work
• People engaged in a number of activities
  
  • But some would train to become specialists in one task.

Question 4

What is the key concept of division of labour?

Answer 4

The specialisation of tasks.- Division of labour (key concept): the specialisation of tasks.
- Most people in feudal societies learnt a wide range of skills for maintaining and cultivating the land (and its animals/produce) they worked on, as well as the homes they lived in (culinary skills, basic medicine, homemaking, etc.)

Question 5

What characterizes the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 5

The transition from agrarian and rural societies with feudal structures to more industrial, urban, and capitalist societies.
- There was rapid changes and happened in the second half of the 1700s to 1800s

Question 6

Name one of the revolutions that contributed to industrial capitalism.

Answer 6

Technological revolution.

Question 7

What does industrialisation involve?

Answer 7

Use of inanimate energy sources and large-scale specialized workplaces.

Question 8

wage l….? and produ…..?

What is capitalism defined as?

Answer 8

Private ownership of production and wage labour.

Question 9

Changing Nature of Work?

Answer 9

Work which used to be regarded negatively BUT NOW wages are present and truck system/ cash and other types of payments are introduced pre-industrial soc rather than negative views / BUT from multiple sources of income narrowed down to one

Question 10

What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on cities?

Answer 10

Cities like Manchester transformed from minor market towns to major global cities.

Question 11

What did the Luddites protest against?

Answer 11

Machines taking their jobs.
- British government stamped out Luddite movement
- Technology was taking away the benefit of work for everyone
- Luddites started breaking the machines because they had taken all their jobs
- Google Maps took away for example a map reader (don’t know the exact term for it)’s jobs

Question 12

What is the central thesis of Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’?

Answer 12

Individual self-interest results in societal benefit, known as the ‘invisible hand’.

Question 13

How was work historically viewed?

Answer 13

Negatively, but later positively evaluated through Protestantism.

Question 14

What does Marx’s alienation theory state?

Answer 14

Workers are alienated from the product, the activity of work, their essence, and from others: rather than joy and creativity they are working dull and repetitive jobs.

Question 15

What does ‘payment’ refer to in the context of pre-industrial work?

Answer 15

A mixture of payments in kind and in cash.

Question 16

What is the Fordist system characterized by?

Answer 16

Standardised mass production and assembly line use. Assembly line can be seen for airplanes in this society

Question 17

What did Taylorism aim to achieve?

Answer 17

TAYLOR: wrote Principles of Scientific Management: this then became known as Taylorism. Applied scientific methods to the problem of obtaining maximum efficiency in industrial work.

Question 18

What are the three key observations of post-industrial societies? (noticed by Daniel Bell)

Answer 18

• Shift from manufacturing to service-based industries
• Emergence of ‘knowledge’ as a form of capital
• Growth in professional sectors
  :All of this can be applied to West but in parts of Asia industrialisation is still big / people work in industrial conditions still.

Question 19

Fill in the blank: The life of peasants was hard as they had no ownership or control over the land they worked, which was owned by _______.

Answer 19

[aristocratic land lords]

Question 20

What were guilds established for?

Answer 20

To ensure the success of particular practices and markets.

Question 21

What transformation occurred in agriculture during industrialisation?

Answer 21

Transformation from subsistence farming to mass production for markets.

Question 22

True or False: The term ‘unemployed’ became common in the 1880s.

Answer 22

True.

Question 23

What is the essence of Marx’s critique on industrial capitalism?

Answer 23

It reduces human beings to unthinking and replaceable cogs in a machine.

Question 24

What does alienation mean in the context of work?

Answer 24

Things that are supposed to be together come apart.

Question 25

What does 'precarious labour' refer to?

Answer 25

Insecure and unstable forms of employment. UCL states that almost 1/10 UK workers are increasingly trapped in precarious work - Temporary jobs - Part-time jobs - 0 contract hours - Freelancing - Self-employment

Question 26

What is a significant consequence of the industrialisation of agriculture?

Answer 26

Mass-scale displacement, famine, poverty, and migration for peasants.

Question 27

What did the introduction of transport revolutionize during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 27

The movement of resources, workers, and capital.

Question 28

What was the effect of Henry Ford's introduction of the assembly line?

Answer 28

Increased efficiency and productivity in production through standardised mass production

Question 29

What was the primary focus of the industrialisation process?

Answer 29

Specialised tasks and mass urbanisation.

Question 30

What does the term 'Fordization' refer to?

Answer 30

The imitation of Ford's successful production model by others.

Question 31

What is the relationship between work and consciousness in Marx's theory?

Answer 31

Humans are self-reflective and seek meaning in their work: but through assembly lines and industrialisation they lose this and fall into an oppressive state which he calls the alientation theory.

Question 32

What is the shift in economic focus in post-industrial societies?

Answer 32

Shift from manufacturing to service-based industries ## Footnote This reflects a broader trend where economies prioritize services over traditional manufacturing.

Question 33

What has emerged as a form of capital in the modern economy?

Answer 33

Knowledge ## Footnote Knowledge is increasingly recognized as a valuable asset in various sectors.

Question 34

What sectors have seen growth in the post-industrial economy?

Answer 34

Professional sectors such as: * ICTs * Sciences * Creative industries ## Footnote These sectors are vital in the current economic landscape.

Question 35

What role do universities play in local economies?

Answer 35

Universities operate as businesses and can be significant employers in their regions. ## Footnote Example: Loughborough University is noted as the biggest employer in its area.

Question 36

What is precarious labor?

Answer 36

Work that is insecure, leaving workers uncertain about future employment and income ## Footnote This includes various forms of employment such as part-time jobs and freelancing.

Question 37

List some forms of precarious labor.

Answer 37

* Temporary jobs * Part-time jobs * Zero-hours contracts * Internships * Casual labour * Freelancing * Self-employment ## Footnote These forms of work often lack stability and security.

Question 38

Define the 'gig economy'.

Answer 38

'Gig economy' refers to a process where short-term tasks are advertised through online platforms, with workers bidding to undertake jobs as independent contractors. - Wider set of insecure working arrangements : 'low pay- no pay arrangements' - ‘Gig workers’ might appreciate the choice and flexibility of it, but also struggle with lack of choice, exploitation and alienation : (like a lack of team-work and marx would argue there isn't an aspect of community) ## Footnote This economy encompasses a range of insecure working arrangements.

Question 39

What does 'forced entrepreneurship' mean?

Answer 39

Employers recruit workers as independent, self-employed contractors to avoid paying for normal employee rights and protections ## Footnote This practice can lead to exploitation of workers.

Question 40

True or False: Gig workers generally have stable and secure employment.

Answer 40

False ## Footnote Gig workers often face exploitation and a lack of job security.

Question 41

What was the estimated value of the sharing economy in 2021?

Answer 41

$113 billion ## Footnote This sector is expected to grow significantly by 2027.

Question 42

What was Uber's revenue in 2022?

Answer 42

$8.6 billion ## Footnote This highlights the financial scale of gig economy platforms.

Question 43

Name three companies and their revenues as part of the sharing economy.

Answer 43

* DiDi: $19.63 billion * Airbnb: $8.4 billion * eBay: $9.8 billion ## Footnote These figures illustrate the financial impact of sharing economy companies.

Question 44

What are some effects of precarious work on workers?

Answer 44

* Uncertain income * Absence of work community * Limited legal protection * Fear of stepping out of line * Blurring of work and free time * Alienation ## Footnote These factors contribute to a challenging work environment for many individuals.

Question 45

What does 'the destructuring of existence' refer to?

Answer 45

A concept by Bourdieu that describes the fragmentation of work and life in modern economies ## Footnote This reflects the challenges faced by workers in balancing their personal and professional lives.

Question 46

What is a potential future consequence of gig work?

Answer 46

Gig workers may contribute to building market share for future robots and driverless cars ## Footnote This raises questions about the future of work and automation.

Question 47

Marxist critique on alienation

Answer 47

No possibility of genuine community and workers become alienated from each other alongside you not being able to control what you produce or who you produce it for / POWER TRIP : contributes to your own oppression ; vicious cycle (product and you owned by employer)

Question 48

FORDISM PROS AND WHO IS HENRY FORD?

Answer 48

Henry Ford (American Industrialist); founder of Ford car company - First affordable automobile (like nano tata comprehension); less than a 10th of he price of craft car in 1916 : rose to 50% of market shares in 6 years ('08-14) - Introduced the idea of standardised mass production: very similar/ same products are created using standardised processes + automated machinery - Higher wages / double the norm of time and a 5 of the company's shares On top of this: gave more opportunity for 'unskilled workers' (in 1910 with majority being skilled workers. IN 1917 less than 10% were skilled hence showing many could do these jobs and UNSKILLED WORKERS FROM COUNTRYSIDE could try finding a job in city