Deck 13: Work and the Economy

Question 1

One of the factors that sets prices is how much consumers want the goods or services.This is called:

A)markets
B)productivity
C)the division of labor
D)demand
E)supply

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Social relations that regulate the exchange of goods and services are called:

A)markets
B)productivity
C)the division of labor
D)deskilling
E)scientific management

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Most economic analysts divide the economy into three main sectors of economic activity.Which of the following is one of these sectors?

A)tertiary
B)auxiliary
C)technology
D)terminal

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The core sociological question about work discussed by Brym and Lie is:

A)How will work life be organized?
B)How will work affect the economy?
C)Is work a salvation,a curse,or both?
D)What is the meaning of work?
E)none of these choices

Question 5

One of the factors that sets prices is how plentiful goods and services are to consumers.This is known as:

A)markets
B)productivity
C)the division of labor
D)demand
E)supply

Question 6

The specialization of work tasks is commonly called:

A)the growing size of markets
B)the increase in productivity
C)the growing division of labor
D)growing demand
E)growing supply

Question 7

In which sector of the economy are raw materials turned into finished goods?

A)primary sector
B)secondary sector
C)tertiary sector
D)service
E)agricultural

Question 8

If someone is a nurse,teacher,lawyer,or computer programmer than they are working in which sector of the economy?

A)primary sector
B)secondary sector
C)tertiary sector
D)manufacturing sector
E)none of these choices

Question 9

Shoshana Zuboff asked office workers to draw pictures representing how they felt about their jobs before and after a new computer system was introduced.The pictures demonstrated that the office workers:

A)were quite pleased with the introduction of the new computer system
B)were noncommittal about how they felt about the new computer system
C)were happy about the computer system because it freed them from mundane paperwork
D)were unhappy with the introduction of the new computer system because it constrained their freedom
E)none of these choices

Question 10

Most economic analysts divide the economy into three sectors.Which of the following is one of these sectors?

A)primary sector
B)secondary sector
C)tertiary sector
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 11

Charlie Chaplin's 1929 movie,Modern Times,was a humorous critique of the factory work of his time.The film is interesting because it suggests that:

A)factories offered humane working conditions
B)machines were used for the benefit of the workers
C)workers were used for the benefit of the machines
D)management was open to employee contribution
E)machines replaced workers

Question 12

The amount of goods or services produced for every hour worked is known as:

A)the economy
B)productivity
C)worker satisfaction
D)output
E)all of these choices

Question 13

Which sector of the economy is focused upon the buying and selling of services?

A)primary sector
B)secondary sector
C)tertiary sector
D)agricultural
E)construction

Question 14

Farming,fishing,logging,mining and the extraction of other raw materials and resources are all activities associated with which sector of the economy?

A)primary sector
B)secondary sector
C)tertiary sector
D)none of these choices
E)all of these choices

Question 15

The institution that organizes the production,distribution,and exchange of goods and services is the:

A)economy
B)political system
C)education system
D)family
E)government bureaucracy

Question 16

The theme reflected in the pictures office workers drew for Shoshana Zuboff's research demonstrates that:

A)work automation and standardization can be degrading and inhumane
B)work automation and standardization almost always liberate workers
C)work automation and standardization have varying consequences
D)work automation and standardization only influence management's attitudes
E)work automation and standardization almost always enables ordinary workers to become managers

Question 17

Nearly all humans lived in nomadic tribes until about ____.

A)100,000 years ago
B)50,000 years ago
C)25,000 years ago
D)10,000 years ago
E)5,000 years ago

Question 18

Most economic analysts divide the economy into three main sectors.Which of the following is NOT one of these sectors?

A)primary sector
B)basic sector
C)secondary sector
D)tertiary sector

Question 19

In a tribal society,a person considered adept at tending to the ill,forecasting the weather,or predicting the movement of animals might be relieved of other responsibilities to focus on these services.This process illustrates the development of:

A)markets
B)productivity
C)the division of labor
D)demand
E)supply

Question 20

About 5,000 years ago,what device was invented?

A)the plow
B)the projectile weapon
C)the wheel
D)the chisel
E)none of these choices

Question 21

In pre-agriculture societies there were four main jobs: hunting wild animals,gathering wild edible plants,raising children,and tending to the tribe's spiritual needs.In modern society,there are thousands of different kinds of jobs.This increasing diversification of work is called:

A)the growing size of markets
B)the increase in productivity
C)the growing division of labor
D)growing demand
E)growing supply

Question 22

According to Brym and Lie,there are two reasons why the expansion of part-time work is not a serious problem in itself.Which of the following is one of these reasons?

A)some people want to work part-time and can afford to do so
B)some people wish to climb the corporate ladder
C)some people want a stable and consistent schedule
D)some people move from job to job to advance their career
E)none of these choices

Question 23

Harry Braverman held that capitalists are always eager to organize work to maximize their profits.To exert increasing control,wrote Braverman,they:

A)break complex tasks into simple routines
B)replace machines with skilled labor
C)use democratic principles to increase worker contribution
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 24

The fastest growing category of part-time workers is composed of:

A)voluntary part-timers
B)involuntary part-timers
C)occupational part-timers
D)occasional full-timers
E)vocational part-timers

Question 25

While work in the past used to be based on cooperation among equals,it usually now involves superordinates exercising and subordinates learning ____.

A)regularly; to follow
B)authority; obedience
C)resistance; obedience
D)care; care
E)disrespect; respect

Question 26

The main characteristics of a "good" job are:

A)they require higher education
B)they pay well
C)they encourage autonomy
D)they are not closely supervised
E)all of these choices

Question 27

The process of work being broken down from complex tasks into simple routines,human labor being replaced with machines wherever possible,and supervisors exerting increasing control over workers is called:

A)reskilling
B)deskilling
C)overkilling
D)scientific management
E)unscientific management

Question 28

As the division of labor increases,new skills and new jobs are created.These jobs frequently:

A)simplify tasks into a series of simple routines
B)demand greater skill from workers
C)demand less skill from workers
D)make work tasks more complex
E)all of these choices

Question 29

As one work revolution gave way to the next,work relations became:

A)more open and flexible
B)more systematic
C)more hierarchical
D)less systematic
E)less hierarchical

Question 30

In 2004,about one-fourth of all people in the U.S.labor force worked less than 35 hours a week.These people were:

A)full-time workers
B)part-time workers
C)unionized workers
D)nonunionized workers
E)all of these choices

Question 31

The proportion of part-time workers in the United States labor force ____ between 1957 and 1996.

A)decreased 46%
B)increased 46%
C)increased 146%
D)decreased 146%
E)stayed the same

Question 32

Katherine Newman's research on fast-food workers in Harlem concluded that these workers are trained:

A)to provide inefficient service
B)in how to advance their careers in the organization
C)to make the best possible fast food
D)to keep smiling no matter how demanding or rude their customers may be
E)not to accept public humiliation

Question 33

An increasingly large number of people depend on part-time work for the necessities of full-time living.Yet most part-time jobs are:

A)good jobs
B)high-paying jobs
C)bad jobs
D)skilled jobs
E)technical jobs

Question 34

Clearly defined positions and written goals,rules,and procedures govern the organization of work in what form of work organization?

A)traditional
B)bureaucratic
C)democratic
D)agrarian
E)manufacturing

Question 35

One problem with official statistics on part-time work is that a third of women officially classified as voluntary part-time workers:

A)would work fewer hours if they could afford to stay at home
B)would work more hours if good child-care or elder-care were available
C)are happy with the number of hours that they are working
D)want more vocational training
E)none of these choices

Question 36

____ analyzes the movements of workers as they do jobs so that unnecessary or repetitive actions can be eliminated to increase efficiency.

A)deskilling
B)reskilling
C)retooling
D)scientific management
E)unscientific management

Question 37

The main characteristic(s)of a "bad" job include:

A)unpleasant working conditions
B)little formal education required to do the job
C)a worker can be easily fired
D)few,if any,fringe benefits
E)all of these choices

Question 38

The deskilling thesis undoubtedly captures one important tendency in the development of work.However,it does not paint a complete picture of work because it:

A)lacks an analysis of specific job categories
B)overlooks the bottom of the occupational hierarchy
C)is too narrowly focused on the bottom of the occupational hierarchy
D)spends too much time focusing on the occupational structure as a whole
E)is overly focused on the service sector

Question 39

According to official (government)statistics,25% of part-time workers want to work more hours.Yet survey data show that official statistics:

A)overestimate the scope of the problem
B)are accurate only for certain occupations
C)underestimate the scope of the problem
D)are frequently ignored
E)are highly accurate

Question 40

If you work as a "temp" in an office you are more likely than other office workers to be the victim of sexual harassment.You are especially vulnerable to unwanted advances because you lack power in the office and are considered "fair game." This unfortunate state of affairs is an illustration of:

A)the indignity endured by part-timers
B)the problems of office work
C)social organization
D)the focus on time rather than work finished
E)none of these choices

Question 41

How are American workers different from workers in most other highly industrialized countries?

A)Americans work more hours per week on average
B)a smaller percentage of American workers are unionized
C)in the United States there is no centralized,nationwide bargaining between unions and businesses
D)in the United States there are fewer paid vacation days per year
E)all of these choices

Question 42

Which of the following are types of decision-making innovations that have been introduced in the factories of the rich industrialized countries since the early 1970s?

A)reforms that have instituted Fordism
B)reforms that allow workers to help formulate overall business strategy
C)scientific management
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 43

From the end of the 1800s until the start of the World War II,the labor market entered the phase of:

A)scientific management
B)labor homogenization
C)labor market segmentation
D)labor diversification
E)initial proletarianization

Question 44

According to Brym and Lie,Braverman and Zuboff ____ the downward slide of the United States labor force.

A)mirrored
B)underestimated
C)overlooked
D)exaggerated
E)none of these choices

Question 45

Which of the following arguments are made by proponents of labor market segmentation theory?

A)work helps people overcome poverty
B)workers can find more or less comparable jobs in the primary and secondary labor markets
C)social barriers make it difficult for people to move between primary and secondary labor markets
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 46

Studies conducted at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company near Chicago advocated less authoritarian leadership on the shop floor.This school of thought came to be known as:

A)deskilling school of management
B)human relations school of management
C)quality of work life movement
D)internal labor market movement
E)scientific management

Question 47

The labor market that is composed disproportionately of highly skilled or well-educated white males employed in large corporations is called the:

A)secondary labor market
B)primary labor market
C)tertiary labor market
D)service labor market
E)segmented labor market

Question 48

In the United States,about ____ of nonagricultural workers are members of unions.

A)14%
B)34%
C)54%
D)74%
E)94%

Question 49

Which of the following principles was advocated by the human relations school of management?

A)less authoritarian leadership on the shop floor
B)careful selection and training of personnel
C)greater attention to human needs
D)greater attention to employee job satisfaction
E)all of these choices

Question 50

For Gordon,Edwards,and Reich,extensive mechanization and deskilling of work took place during which stage of labor history?

A)scientific management
B)labor homogenization
C)labor market segmentation
D)labor diversification

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT a principle advocated by the human relations school of management?

A)greater attention to employee job satisfaction
B)careful selection and training of personnel
C)greater attention to corporate management
D)greater attention to human needs
E)less authoritarian leadership on the shop floor

Question 52

Which of the following are types of decision-making innovations that have been introduced in the factories of the rich industrialized countries since the early 1970s?

A)team management
B)quality circles
C)human relations
D)codetermination
E)quality circles and codetermination

Question 53

Brym and Lie contend that rather than involving a downward shift in the entire labor force,it seems more accurate to think of recent changes in work as:

A)a polarization between good and bad jobs
B)a redefinition of the workplace
C)a new classification of work
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 54

The biggest concessions to labor have been made in countries with the largest proportion of ____ workers:

A)young
B)middle-aged
C)unionized
D)nonunionized
E)European

Question 55

During the period from about 1820 to 1890,craft workers in small workshops were replaced by a large industrial working class.Gordon,Edwards,and Reich called this:

A)scientific management
B)labor homogenization
C)labor market segmentation
D)labor diversification
E)initial proletarianization

Question 56

One of the problems with the analysis of work by Braverman and Zuboff is that they:

A)generalize from participant observation
B)generalize about the entire labor force from case studies of just a few job categories
C)need to refocus their research on case studies of work
D)ignore the operation of management
E)ignore the work of assembly line and office workers

Question 57

The distribution of income in services is practically the same as that in manufacturing.On some measures of job quality,such as job security,service jobs are on average better than manufacturing jobs.Thus,the decline of the manufacturing sector and the rise of the service sector:

A)do not imply a downward slide of the entire labor force
B)imply a downward slide of the entire labor force
C)illustrate that not all work is physically demanding
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 58

The workplace organization in which small groups of workers and managers collaborate to improve both the quality of goods produced and communication between workers and managers is called:

A)team management
B)quality circles
C)human relations
D)internal labor markets
E)scientific management

Question 59

____ is the labor market composed disproportionately of a large number of women and minorities,particularly African and Hispanic Americans.Employees tend to be unskilled and lack higher education.

A)the primary labor market
B)the secondary labor market
C)the tertiary labor market
D)the service labor market

Question 60

The stage of labor history that began after World War II and continues up to the present,during which the labor market was divided into two distinct parts is called the stage of:

A)scientific management
B)labor homogenization
C)labor market segmentation
D)labor diversification
E)initial proletarianization

Question 61

In internal labor markets,senior personnel are to some degree protected from outside competition.Therefore,internal labor markets are sometimes called:

A)seniority rules
B)primary labor markets
C)labor market shelters
D)worker intake valves
E)codetermination circles

Question 62

____ specify the length of time one must serve in a given position before being allowed to move up in the organization.

A)seniority rules
B)secondary labor markets
C)labor market shelters
D)primary labor markets
E)all of these choices

Question 63

The example of a husband selling his wife in 1823 for sixpence in Britain demonstrates that:

A)markets rarely commodify anything
B)regulated markets settle disagreements
C)an unregulated market creates gross inequalities
D)primary labor markets have existed for centuries
E)wife abuse has existed for centuries

Question 64

A group of workers who organize to advance and protect their own interests is called:

A)a union
B)a professional association
C)a team
D)a collectivity
E)a solidary group

Question 65

The primary labor market is a ____ market because wage levels and other benefits are established not just by the forces of supply and demand but also by the power of workers and professionals.

A)free market
B)closed market
C)flexible market
D)bull market
E)regulated market

Question 66

The question of whether free or regulated markets are better for society lies at the center of much debate in economics and politics.However,for many economic sociologists that question is too abstract because:

A)regulation is not an either/or issue but a matter of degree
B)a market may be more or less regulated
C)markets may be regulated differently for different groups
D)the costs and benefits of regulation may be socially distributed in many ways
E)all of these choices

Question 67

People with specialized knowledge acquired through extensive higher education are called:

A)union members
B)professionals
C)team members
D)factory workers
E)codetermination managers

Question 68

Which of the following are characteristics of internal labor markets?

A)they help to control pay rates
B)they help to control hiring
C)they help to control promotions
D)they help to reduce competition between workers and external labor suppliers
E)all of these choices

Question 69

Workers typically find it difficult to exit the "job ghettos" of the secondary labor market because:

A)often there are few entry-level positions in the primary labor market
B)workers lack informal networks linking them to good job openings
C)workers lack required training and certification for good jobs
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 70

The credentials needed to enter a profession are highly regulated.A cap on the supply of new professionals is maintained.Competition is reduced and earnings and demand for services are kept high.Professions thus act as:

A)seniority rules
B)internal labor markets
C)labor market shelters
D)quality circles
E)codetermination circles

Question 71

Internal labor markets are sometimes called:

A)seniority rules
B)primary labor markets
C)labor market shelters
D)worker intake valves
E)codetermination circles

Question 72

In Germany,workers review and influence management policies on a wide range of issues in coordinated workers' councils.This practice is known as:

A)team management
B)quality circles
C)human relations
D)codetermination
E)unionization

Question 73

Unions help to develop systems of labor recruitment,training,and promotion in:

A)codetermination circles
B)quality circles
C)union centrals
D)internal labor markets
E)secondary labor markets

Question 74

Workers who enjoy a high degree of work autonomy because they acquire specialized knowledge are called:

A)union members
B)professionals
C)team members
D)factory workers
E)all of these choices

Question 75

The secondary labor market is a ____ because supply and demand labor regulates wage levels and other benefits:

A)free market
B)closed market
C)flexible market
D)bull market

Question 76

Organizations of workers that seek to defend and promote their members' interests are called:

A)team management
B)quality circles
C)unions
D)internal labor markets
E)codetermination

Question 77

The feeling that one is unable to cope with life's demands given one's resources is known as:

A)alienation
B)stress
C)strain
D)overwork
E)depression

Question 78

There are three main reasons why leisure is on the decline and the pace of work is becoming more frantic for those who are employed in the paid labor force.Which of the following is NOT one of these reasons?

A)big corporations invest large sums in advertising
B)it is general corporate policy to employ few workers and have them work long hours
C)American workers are generally poorly trained
D)American workers lack clout in setting their working conditions

Question 79

Which of the following is one of the main insights of economic sociology?

A)the structure of markets varies widely across different cultures
B)the structure of markets varies widely across different corporations
C)the structure of markets are based on the interests of the population
D)the structure of markets are based entirely on the decisions of economic elites
E)markets are fictions

Question 80

The American Medical Association is probably one of the best known:

A)unions
B)professional associations
C)teams
D)collectivities
E)solidary groups