Deck 10: Work and Rationalization

Question 1

How did Weber describe the belief system of Europeans before the Enlightenment?

A) It was characterized by magic and controlled by mystical forces.
B) Most people already believed in the scientific research of the Arabs.
C) The Catholic Church completely controlled most thought processes.
D) Wealthy people were enlightened, but serfs believed in witchcraft.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Ralf was an overseer of serfs on a manor in pre-Enlightenment Europe. If the crops failed, Ralf would most likely blame ______.

A) drought
B) demons
C) depleted soil
D) soil fungus

Answer 2

B

Question 3

How did Europeans tend to solve problems before the Enlightenment?

A) By doing research into the cause of the problem
B) Writing to other rulers to ask for their advice
C) Performing a religious ritual or sacrifice
D) Donating more money to the Catholic Church

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Emma lived in pre-Enlightenment Europe. When her son came down with the plague, Emma would most likely have sought help from ______.

A) logical measures
B) science
C) physicians
D) magic

Question 5

How did Weber describe the waning power of religion's role in society?

A) The protestant reformation
B) The decline of secularism
C) The disenchantment of the world
D) The end of superstition

Question 6

Nicolaus made systematic observations of the planets in the night sky and started to doubt that the sun orbits the earth, even though the Catholic Church supported that view. Nicolaus's reliance on scientific observation instead of religious teaching represents the ______.

A) disenchantment of the world
B) strengthening of the Church
C) protestant reformation
D) rise of atheism

Question 7

Which way of solving problems has led to a more productive and efficient world?

A) Secularization
B) Instinctual
C) Rationalization
D) Divination

Question 8

Gamel knows his horse will turn right every time his bridle is pulled in that direction, in other words, the response of the horse is ______.

A) predictable
B) calculable
C) efficient
D) arbitrary

Question 9

Beau is making a special lunch for his family of five, but the recipe is for only two servings. He can figure out how to adjust for more servings because recipes are ______.

A) efficient
B) predictable
C) calculable
D) controlling

Question 10

What element of rationalization is focused on reducing waste?

A) Calculability
B) Control
C) Predictability
D) Efficiency

Question 11

Jerry likes to ensure positive outcomes from eating a healthy diet as recommended by his doctor. In other words, he wants ______.

A) control
B) efficiency
C) predictability
D) calculability

Question 12

One advantage of rationalization and the understanding of science is ______.

A) fewer evil spirits
B) longer human lifespans
C) less farm yield
D) more powerful priests

Question 13

What is lost when the process of disenchantment seeks efficiency in the production of goods?

A) Reason
B) Predictability
C) Spontaneity
D) Accountability

Question 14

According to Weber, as the world becomes disenchanted, what else is also lost for in many people's lives?

A) Meaning
B) Religion
C) Longevity
D) Calculability

Question 15

What term meaning "desk power" is the prototype of rationalization?

A) Hierarchy
B) Bureaucracy
C) Byzantine
D) Convoluted

Question 16

According to Weber and Ritzer, the fact that fast food restaurants offer cheap meals, but also create massive amounts of waste, is an example of the ______.

A) irrationality of rationality
B) predictability of spontaneity
C) control of calculability
D) standardization of creativity

Question 17

Ben goes to the motor vehicle department to renew his drivers' license and has to wait in line to take a number, then when his number is called, he finds out which other line to stand in to get his picture taken. All this seems to be excessively formal and a needlessly complex example of the ______.

A) abuse of power
B) efficiency of bureaucracy
C) irrationality of rationality
D) engineering of annoyance

Question 18

Ernie's family has run his family-owned sandwich shop for eighty years. According to Ritzer, why is Ernie's sandwich shop likely resistant to McDonaldization?

A) It is a "premodern" business that has been around a long time.
B) His shop is too small for large franchises to worry about.
C) Ernie's is a local favorite, and so is immune to competition.
D) The shop is state-owned and does not face pressure from McDonald's.

Question 19

Yoni does all of his banking online and at ATM machines. How does his convenience also help corporations, according to the ideas of McDonaldization?

A) Online banks have higher overhead costs than brick-and-mortar location.
B) Fewer employees are needed if Yoni is doing the labor for free.
C) Computer and ATM maintenance cost the same as hourly tellers.
D) Corporations using automation are more highly rated.

Question 20

What is one way rationalization has changed the way we think about goods and services?

A) Things that used to be considered priceless are now given monetary value.
B) Most goods must now be standardized and McDonaldized or they won't sell.
C) Innovation and creativity are now frowned upon in favor of predictability.
D) Services that were seen as public goods are now seen as profit centers.

Question 21

Betsy sees public schools as a problem, rather than a public good. She would rather convert them into places for private corporations to maximize profit and train obedient workers. Betsy's view is most likely shaped by ______.

A) essentialism
B) discrimination
C) rationalization
D) legitimation

Question 22

Why is crude oil considered a commodity?

A) It is standardized, is worth money, and is mass-produced by several companies.
B) Oil is a necessity for heating, refining into gasoline, and lubricating machines.
C) Many plastics and even some shampoos are made from elements of crude oil.
D) Many modes of transportation rely on oil for fuel and in their transmissions.

Question 23

Public schools provide education paid for by taxpayers, but private schools require tuition, and represent schooling which has been ______.

A) standardized
B) commodified
C) rationalized
D) profiteered

Question 24

Cultural appropriation is a form of the ______ of culture.

A) rejection
B) standardization
C) celebration
D) commodification

Question 25

Which of these is an example of the commodification of culture?

A) One of a kind, unique wooden shaving brushes
B) Cherokee language classes offered free at the library
C) Mass-produced Native American dream catchers
D) A mountain-sized sculpture of Crazy Horse in South Dakota

Question 26

Dan owns a football team. Several Native American groups have told him the nickname and logos he uses for his team are offensive and racist. Dan has ______ stereotypical Native American imagery.

A) commodified
B) stigmatized
C) curtailed
D) personalized

Question 27

Émile Durkheim said societies in which everyone is very similar, or homogenous, are based on ______ solidarity.

A) organic
B) mechanical
C) natural
D) artificial

Question 28

Durkheim would most likely categorize the United States as a society based on ______ solidarity.

A) union
B) mechanical
C) organic
D) artificial

Question 29

Aboriginal Australians often live separately in their own communities as a way of preserving their ancient culture. This society is most likely based on ______ solidarity.

A) artificial
B) natural
C) mechanical
D) organic

Question 30

A self-sufficient farming community in which every family grows its own food and makes its own goods has little ______.

A) division of labor
B) conflict of interest
C) income equality
D) mechanical solidarity

Question 31

What is one advantage of a high degree of division of labor, such as in factories?

A) Products will be of higher quality.
B) Goods will become scarcer and more expensive.
C) The skilled workers are paid more.
D) Labor is cheaper, so goods are more affordable.

Question 32

Eric installs engines in cars for a major automobile manufacturer in Michigan: he does a repetitive task and only knows how to install engines. Erik uses money he earns from his job to purchase most everything he needs to live his life, thus living in a society based on ______ solidarity.

A) mechanical
B) organic
C) artificial
D) essential

Question 33

What is one drawback of increasing division of labor for employees?

A) More unskilled laborers will be needed to maintain the machines.
B) Goods will be cheaper if made on assembly lines with robots.
C) Corporations will gain more profit due to reduced labor costs.
D) Skilled workers will be in less demand due to automation.

Question 34

Who developed the principle of scientific management?

A) Henry Ford
B) Andrew Carnegie
C) Frederick Taylor
D) John D. Rockefeller

Question 35

Who developed the assembly line to speed up and standardize production?

A) John D. Rockefeller
B) Frederick Taylor
C) Andrew Carnegie
D) Henry Ford

Question 36

What is one innovation introduced when the assembly line was standardized?

A) Specialized machines replaced skilled laborers making parts.
B) Workers were trained to do any job along the assembly line.
C) Employees were given stock options as part of their salary.
D) Corporations immediately laid off most of the workforce.

Question 37

Why are workers sometimes frustrated and angered when companies switch to assembly line production?

A) Their health care benefits were cut to maximize profits.
B) Raises given to workers were not high enough.
C) The work became unthinking and uncreative.
D) Micromanagement of employees declined.

Question 38

What did Frederick Taylor do to help cause the decline of skilled workers?

A) He interviewed skilled employees and broke their processes into easy to learn parts.
B) Taylor was hired by corporations to help them reduce the cost of labor and he did.
C) He tested worker endurance by using experiments to determine how much they could work.
D) Taylor wrote a series of newspaper editorials claiming that skilled workers wanted to block unskilled labor.

Question 39

What is the logical outcome of embracing scientific management principles in manufacturing?

A) Importing migrant workers to pay them less and work them more in factories.
B) Using robots to automate as many parts of the process as possible.
C) The re-emergence of skilled labor to design and maintain workflow.
D) Shrinking the income and achievement gaps between the rich and poor.

Question 40

Edison entered a shop in the airport while waiting for his flight. There was no clerk in the shop, just a terminal to scan the barcode of any merchandise for purchase. Edison walked into a shop that uses ______ to cut labor costs.

A) outsourcing
B) assembly lines
C) automation
D) unskilled labor

Question 41

Globally, what percentage of current jobs have the technical potential to be automated?

A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 75%
D) 90%

Question 42

Joe teaches history in high school. Erin is a sandwich artist. Julie works as a court stenographer. Carlos installs front axles on pickup trucks. Who is least likely to lose their job to automation?

A) Erin
B) Julie
C) Carlos
D) Joe

Question 43

Which jobs are most likely to be automated?

A) Jobs that prefer candidates to have Master's degrees.
B) Those that require less than a high school education.
C) Work that needs highly specialized training.
D) Jobs requiring workers to be flexible in applying rules.

Question 44

How could the government best help workers displaced by automation?

A) Training for new jobs could be offered.
B) Welfare programs could be expanded.
C) Workers could be relocated to other countries.
D) Large tax breaks could be offered to companies to keep workers.

Question 45

Olabisi is a factory worker in a study of productivity. When the researcher increases the lighting near his group, Olabisi performs better, but he is also more productive when the lights are dimmed. The researcher realizes that workers like Olabisi change behavior when they know they are being observed. In other words this is an example of ______.

A) the Hawthorne effect
B) observer bias
C) confirmation bias
D) the Mayo effect

Question 46

The Hawthorne effect occurs when ______.

A) workers improve productivity due to better lighting and increased safety
B) dim lighting makes workers pay more attention to their job to stay safe
C) subjects change their behavior when they know they are being observed
D) employees assume the researcher can get them fired if they work slowly

Question 47

Randy decides to use Mayo's research to improve satisfaction for his employees. What is most likely to have the desired effect?

A) Randy should make sure to prevent his employees from forming a union.
B) Disgruntled employees should be treated harshly to set an example for others.
C) Randy should pay bonuses to employees who inform on their coworkers.
D) Randy should ensure the workplace is clean and safe, and provide free coffee.

Question 48

Why is replicating research important?

A) To ensure job security for researchers
B) Because verified studies are more generalizable
C) So colleges can keep their science grant money
D) As practice for students in training

Question 49

What attitude about workers was shared by Taylor and Ford?

A) They both felt factory work was a noble pursuit.
B) Workers are on their way to becoming owners.
C) Both had little respect for factory workers.
D) They believed workers value workplace efficiencies.

Question 50

Despite promising to keep the factory open, production for Star-Spangled Flagmaking Company moved from the United States to Asia to cut costs, a move called ______.

A) outsourcing
B) automation
C) rationalization
D) essentialism

Question 51

How does moving jobs out of the United States save money for corporations?

A) Corporations that outsource jobs no longer have to pay sales tax in the United States.
B) The CEOs of corporations that outsource are paid a percentage of foreign worker salaries.
C) Some other countries have no minimum wage, and no workplace safety or environmental laws.
D) Corporations are paid a government bonus for each job they send outside of the United States.

Question 52

According to Marx, how does making workers compete with each other change the nature of work?

A) Work is transformed from a social, collective activity into a solitary, selfish one.
B) More productive employees get to keep the surplus they create for capitalists.
C) Repetitive, isolated labor that does not require thinking is more enjoyable.
D) Workers value and feel a part of the products they produce.

Question 53

Mick works alone on an automobile assembly line, and does NOT control how he works. According to Marx's view, Mick's feeling about this job can be best described as ______.

A) appreciated
B) alienated
C) attached
D) proud

Question 54

Although the division of labor does increase profits for corporations, what effect does it have on workers according to Marx?

A) Most workers prefer jobs that are not intellectually challenging.
B) Workers are happy with this because the company shares the profits with them.
C) Repetitive tasks are much less satisfying than controlling the process.
D) Workers are pitted against each other to earn the best spot on the assembly line.

Question 55

What is the recent trend in the good producing sector?

A) There has been a dramatic decline in resource extracting jobs like mining.
B) More people are being hired to work on offshore oil drilling platforms.
C) Farming requires more manual labor than before to ensure good yield.
D) Fewer people are going into retail sales and entertainment.

Question 56

Shipping companies often hire more workers during busy times of the year, such as in months leading up to major holidays. These jobs are considered ______.

A) emotional
B) precarious
C) creative
D) consistent

Question 57

What has changed employee expectations in many low-level service jobs since the 1980s?

A) Now more than ever, employees can work their way up from entry level jobs into management.
B) Most companies are giving service workers more benefits as the cost of living increases.
C) Service jobs like cleaning are now outsourced and cannot advance within corporations.
D) Salaries paid to service workers have been increasing faster than compensation for management.

Question 58

Any job that provides a good or service, and also tries to make people feel a certain way, is considered ______ labor.

A) manual
B) intellectual
C) precarious
D) emotional

Question 59

Jason NOT only needs to help his students learn psychology, but he must also attempt to make them feel valued and provide a positive classroom experience. Jason's job requires ______ labor.

A) emotional
B) manual
C) resource extraction
D) precarious

Question 60

What factor makes jobs precarious in a factory?

A) Employees control the labor process.
B) Workers are easily fired and replaced.
C) Customers need lots of emotional support.
D) Employees who work too fast are shunned.

Question 61

Indian mathematician Brahmagupta described gravity over one thousand years before Isaac Newton.

Question 62

The Enlightenment marked an increase in religious influence on society throughout Europe.

Question 63

A bureaucracy is a kind of machine made of humans.

Question 64

An independent local coffee shop is an example of a business in favor of rationalization.

Question 65

Anything mass-produced is by definition cultural commodification.

Question 66

Karl Marx felt that the commodification of labor dehumanizes workers in the eyes of employers.

Question 67

The assembly line makes production faster, but also makes employees much easier to replace.

Question 68

A society based on organic solidarity has a much simpler division of labor.

Question 69

Frederick Taylor believed that factory workers have limited mental abilities.

Question 70

Under capitalism, if a worker creates more surplus value for the owner, he or she is entitled to be paid more as a reward.

Question 71

Workers who have no creative control over the products they make tend to feel alienated.

Question 72

In the U.S., only 13% of people were employed in the good producing sector in 2016, compared to 45% in 1910.

Question 73

Service sector jobs tend to have higher salaries than other occupations.

Question 74

Tourism, banking, and teaching are all service sector jobs.

Question 75

Precarious labor is often dirty, dangerous, and demeaning.

Question 76

Do the benefits of rationalization outweigh the disadvantages? Be sure to discuss at least two benefits and two disadvantages.

Question 77

Explain the process of cultural commodification and provide a specific example. Do you think cultural commodification is a problem? Why or why not? Use details and examples to support your answer.

Question 78

Evaluate scientific management in terms of productivity, efficiency, and effects on workers as well as owners. Include a discussion of Frederick Taylor, Henry Ford, Émile Durkheim, and Karl Marx in relation to this question.

Question 79

Discuss the four ways Karl Marx asserted that capitalism distorts the process of work from its previous forms.

Question 80

Predict outcomes if the trend toward automating good production sector jobs continues. What other types of jobs may emerge? Be sure to discuss precarious employment and emotional labor, using details and examples to support your answer.