Deck 13: Work and the Economy

Question 1

In the context of a market, what do we call the desirability and availability of goods and services?

A) give and take
B) supply and demand
C) provision and command
D) require and deliver

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Raymond works as a dishwasher and delivery driver at a local pizza restaurant. Which sector of the economy is he engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What do we call an increase in the amount of something produced for each hour of work?

A) natural increase
B) output intensification
C) productivity
D) exponential growth

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Alfred produces the parts for a very specialized piece of machinery and then sells them to a supplier. Which societal institution is Alfred engaged in with his activities?

A) the family
B) the state
C) the law
D) the economy

Question 5

Kristin is a computer programmer for the provincial government. Which sector of the economy is she engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Question 6

Kristin is a policy analyst for the federal government. Which sector of the economy is she engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Question 7

What institution organizes the production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services in society?

A) the family
B) the state
C) the economy
D) the law

Question 8

What was responsible for the dramatic shift from foraging to agricultural economies?

A) keeping herd animals and growing crops
B) climate changes leading to droughts
C) over-fishing, over-hunting and over-foraging in many areas
D) larger populations that needed geographic stability

Question 9

Which revolution began in England and spread to North America, Russia, Japan, and Western Europe by the late 1800s?

A) the industrial revolution
B) the technological revolution
C) the postindustrial revolution
D) the scientific revolution

Question 10

Janet and her partner Sylvie have an organic farm. They sell vegetables in the summer at the local farmers' market and run a "brown box" program in the winter, delivering vegetables to local subscribers' doorsteps. Which sector of the economy are Janet and Sylvie engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Question 11

According to the textbook, what caused each sector of the economy to rise to dominance at a particular time?

A) climate change
B) geographic shifts
C) shifts in the global markets
D) revolutions regarding how people work

Question 12

Which sector of the economy is agriculture part of?

A) the social reproduction sector
B) the primary sector
C) the secondary sector
D) the tertiary sector

Question 13

Ongka is the "Big Man" in a Papua New Guinea village. He ensures that all the members of his family raise cattle, which he takes to a nearby city and exchanges for goods that the village requires. Which societal institution is Ongka engaged in with his activities?

A) the family
B) the economy
C) the law
D) religion

Question 14

Ernie and Earl have a logging company in Northern British Columbia, and they employ 15 people. Which sector of the economy are these people engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Question 15

Connie and her daughters all work in a salmon processing plant on the north coast of British Columbia. Which sector of the economy are they engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Question 16

Which sector of the economy is the service sector part of?

A) the social reproduction sector
B) the primary sector
C) the secondary sector
D) the tertiary sector

Question 17

Which of the following questions best reflects the focus of the textbook's chapter on work and the economy?

A) Is work liberating or is it a prison?
B) Is work becoming increasingly post-technological?
C) Is work soon to be obsolete?
D) Is work increasingly a problem for those who work in the primary and secondary sectors?

Question 18

Graeme works at a factory that turns trees killed by the pine beetle infestation into beautiful "blue wood" furnishings. Which sector of the economy is he engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Question 19

Jim is an addictions counsellor who works mainly with at-risk youth. Which sector of the economy is he engaged in?

A) the primary sector
B) the secondary sector
C) the tertiary sector
D) the social reproduction sector

Question 20

Which sector of the economy is manufacturing part of?

A) the social reproduction sector
B) the primary sector
C) the secondary sector
D) the tertiary sector

Question 21

Brian works a split shift at the drive-through window at a local fast food franchise. He makes minimum wage and no benefits. What type of job would the authors of the textbook argue he has?

A) a decent job
B) a dead-end job
C) an industry job
D) a market job

Question 22

At a fast-food burger joint, workers are exclusively assigned one of the following tasks: a chipper who fries potatoes, a flipper who grills meat patties, and a condiment person who puts garnish on the buns. What is a common sociological term for the way this establishment is organized?

A) deskilling
B) scientific management
C) productivity
D) division of labour

Question 23

Jeffrey works at a manufacturing plant where they recently had training on ways to get the best performance out of the equipment on the shop floor and how to do their jobs in the most efficient way possible. What do we call the kind of training that Jeffrey and his co-workers have undergone?

A) Fordism
B) Taylorism
C) McDonaldization
D) deskilling

Question 24

What do we call work that requires a high level of education, is highly paid, has a high level of autonomy, and has possibilities for promotion?

A) positive work
B) superior employment
C) a quality occupation
D) a good job

Question 25

There are a number of reasons why the increase in part-time work in Canada may not be problematic. Which of the following reflects one of these reasons?

A) Some people wish to work part-time and can afford to do so.
B) Some people require a consistent and stable work schedule.
C) Some people move from job to job as a means of advancing their careers.
D) Some people enjoy the challenge of holding several part-time jobs at once.

Question 26

What do we call work that requires a low skill level, is poorly paid, has little autonomy and few, if any, benefits?

A) a bad job
B) dire employment
C) a straitened circumstance
D) negative work

Question 27

Who is responsible for the introduction of the assembly line into the workplace?

A) Frederick W. Taylor
B) Kenneth Thomson
C) William Gates
D) Henry Ford

Question 28

Who introduced scientific management principles into the workplace?

A) Frederick W. Taylor
B) Kenneth Thomson
C) William Gates
D) Henry Ford

Question 29

What impact did each shift in the economy have on the social organization of work?

A) There was an increased division of labour.
B) There were increased levels of management.
C) There was decreased labour market segmentation.
D) There was decreased reliance on scientific management styles.

Question 30

Liz is a civil engineer working for the municipality. She earns $80 000 per year, has a full benefits package, and often works outside the office, travelling and liaising with contractors at job sites. What type of job would the authors of the textbook argue she has?

A) a positive job
B) an industry job
C) a good job
D) a market job

Question 31

Why were scientific management principles introduced into the workplace?

A) to improve worker morale
B) to increase worker autonomy
C) to increase work productivity
D) to increase worker skill levels

Question 32

Over the final third of the twentieth century, what is believed to be responsible for speeding the pace of change from the industrial to postindustrial economies?

A) Fordism
B) Taylorism
C) computer technology
D) scientific management

Question 33

Selena works part-time at a grocery store and is hoping to gain enough hours to reach full-time status so she can both pay her rent and eat. What kind of worker is Selena?

A) a tertiary sector part-time worker
B) a white-collar part-time worker
C) an involuntary part-time worker
D) an anti-part-time worker

Question 34

Harbinder is a lawyer for a busy Toronto law firm. How much of Canada's population is engaged in the same sector of the economy as she is?

A) one-quarter
B) one-third
C) one-half
D) three-quarters

Question 35

Which of the following is the fastest-growing category of part-time workers?

A) underage part-time workers
B) involuntary part-time workers
C) white-collar part-time workers
D) previously retired part-time workers

Question 36

In 2013, approximately what proportion of Canadian workers were part-time employees?

A) one-fifth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half

Question 37

According to the deskilling thesis, what do owners stand to gain by separating "conception to execution" in the workplace?

A) productivity
B) profit
C) autonomy
D) organization

Question 38

A number of occupations in Canada have associations that license people working in the field, and only those in good standing with their associations get to use the occupational title and perform work in that field. What term best describes the effect of these licensing practices?

A) job-restrictive associations
B) occupational havens
C) labour market shelters
D) limited access shelters

Question 39

What happened to the rate of part-time workers in Canada between 1976 and 2014?

A) It decreased by one-third.
B) It decreased by one-half.
C) It more than doubled.
D) It more than tripled.

Question 40

Who developed the deskilling thesis?

A) John Lie
B) Shoshana Zuboff
C) Harry Braverman
D) David Gordon

Question 41

Emma secures an office job, but the contract of employment is 6 months. She is categorized as an "unclassified" employee, working full-time hours yet receiving no benefits. This is her fifth contract job in the last two years. Which of the following groups does Emma belong to?

A) involuntary part-timer
B) secondary sector worker
C) the proletariat
D) the precariat

Question 42

According to Ester Reiter's research on fast-food workers in Toronto, what were the workers trained to do?

A) to make the best food possible regardless of the ingredients available
B) to continue smiling regardless of how obnoxious customers may be
C) to advance their careers in the industry by undercutting other workers
D) to provide only mediocre service to elderly customers and youth

Question 43

One outcome of the introduction of computers to the workplace is a reduction in which of the following?

A) the number of bad jobs
B) the quality of bad jobs
C) the number of good jobs
D) the quality of good jobs

Question 44

In the middle of the 1800s, Willie was forced to close his blacksmith shop and get work in the new textile mill. According to the stages of labour market development model, which stage does Willie's situation characterize?

A) worker resistance
B) labour homogenization
C) labour market segmentation
D) initial proletarianization

Question 45

According to Human Resources Development Canada (2000), which of the following is an emerging growth sector in the Canadian economy?

A) aerogenetics
B) multimedia
C) agribusiness
D) tertiary sector manufacturing

Question 46

Jessie has a position as a front-counter worker at a fast-food chain. She often endures putdowns by older customers and ridicule by teens that go to the same school as her. Based on Reiter's research, how will Jessie most likely respond to these humiliations?

A) walk off the job
B) yell at the customers
C) smile at the customers
D) invite the customers to talk to management

Question 47

Silvio has low-wage employment where he works long hours, is regularly exposed to toxic substances, and is three times more likely to suffer an industrial illness than others in similar jobs. According to the textbook, in what industry is Silvio most likely employed?

A) auto mechanics
B) silviculture and forestry
C) electronics assembly
D) pulp and paper

Question 48

Regarding the importance of skilled labour in the current economy, what did Braverman and Zuboff do in their analyses?

A) They underestimated it.
B) They exaggerated it.
C) They ignored it.
D) They made it central to their analyses.

Question 49

According to the textbook, why do youth in particular have a difficult time accepting ridicule and humiliation in the workplace?

A) Their personal values are contradicted by this treatment.
B) They have grown up in an anti-bullying culture.
C) They have been socialized to engage mainly in actions that boost self-esteem.
D) They have little ability to cope with workplace pressure.

Question 50

Studies conducted at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company near Chicago demonstrated the need for a less dictatorial leadership style on the shop floor, and more attention to worker needs. What did this school of thought come to be known as?

A) hierarchy of needs management
B) human relations school of management
C) quality of work life movement
D) work-life balance movement

Question 51

Thomas had employment on an auto assembly line but left to enlist in the army, so he could fight Nazis. According to the stages of labour market development model, which stage did Thomas's pre-war employment situation characterize?

A) worker resistance
B) labour homogenization
C) labour market segmentation
D) initial proletarianization

Question 52

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

A) more authoritarian leadership
B) less formal training of personnel
C) random selection of personnel
D) more attention to job satisfaction

Question 53

Zoe works as a journalist, examining the employment situation in her province. She notices that the larger organizations tend to provide better pay, better benefits, and greater job security than the smaller businesses. What stage of the labour market development model is she observing?

A) worker resistance
B) labour homogenization
C) labour market segmentation
D) initial proletarianization

Question 54

According to the textbook, which of the following is a major problem with the deskilling thesis?

A) It lacks an analysis of specific job categories.
B) It primarily occurs in "old economy" jobs.
C) It overlooks the bottom of the occupational hierarchy.
D) It focuses too much attention on the occupational structure as a whole.

Question 55

Despite the importance of the deskilling thesis in capturing certain tendencies in the development of work, it does not paint a complete picture of work. Which of the following reflects what it misses?

A) It lacks an analysis of specific job categories.
B) It overlooks the underclass of the occupational hierarchy.
C) It focuses too narrowly on the bottom of the occupational hierarchy.
D) It focuses too much attention on the occupational structure as a whole.

Question 56

David is a member of the Cree First Nation, and he has found work as a welder's helper on the oil pipeline in Northern Alberta. According to the labour market development model, what is the name of the setting he works within?

A) the segmented labour market
B) the primary labour market
C) the secondary labour market
D) the proletarian labour market

Question 57

Medina and Aleksa both work full time sewing children's clothing. The factory Medina works in is unionized, whereas Aleksa's workplace is nonunionized. Based on research cited in this chapter, if Medina is earning $18 per hour, what is Aleksa earning?

A) $10
B) $14
C) $18
D) $22

Question 58

Kate started her career as an assistant professor at a small university and has quickly moved up the ranks to become an associate professor. She is looking forward to becoming a full professor before she reaches age 40. According to the labour market development model, what is the name of the setting she works within?

A) the segmented labour market
B) the primary labour market
C) the secondary labour market
D) the professional labour market

Question 59

Carlos is a recent immigrant from Guatemala, and he works most of the year in construction. When construction slows down in the winter, he plays music at a local lounge. According to the labour market development model, what is the name of the setting he works within?

A) the primary labour market
B) the secondary labour market
C) the segmented labour market
D) the proletarian labour market

Question 60

In which of the following respects are unions and professional associations alike?

A) Both intervene with governments to promote secondary labour.
B) Both bargain for collective agreements for their members.
C) Both oppose the creation of non-standard work.
D) Both act as labour market shelters from loss of jobs and pay cuts.

Question 61

To meet consumer demand, a company began to mass produce chickens of a standard size and then slaughter them, process them, and package them. First, the industry had to adopt most features of assembly line production. What term best identifies the creation of chicken factories?

A) Fordism
B) Taylorism
C) scientific management
D) rationalization

Question 62

What do we call people who have had extensive educations in highly specialized fields and enjoy a high degree of autonomy at work?

A) professionals
B) gatekeepers
C) bourgeoisie
D) practitioners

Question 63

The largest concessions to workers have been made in nations with the highest proportion of which of the following types of workers?

A) young workers
B) professional workers
C) unionized workers
D) technological workers

Question 64

Inga and six others representing workers meet monthly with a similar number of managers to discuss worker safety concerns, pay and benefits, development opportunities, and job security. Which of the following advocates this type of collaborative decision making?

A) the human relations school of management
B) quality of work life movement
C) scientific management movement
D) codetermination movement

Question 65

While on vacation, Arielle was talking with the hotel staff about working conditions in the country and was surprised to hear that they were entitled to 30 paid vacation days (6 weeks) every year. Where had Arielle chosen to go for her holiday?

A) Australia
B) England
C) Sweden
D) France

Question 66

What do we call the German system that grants workers input into an organization's overall business strategy?

A) Taylorism
B) Fordism
C) codetermination
D) unionization

Question 67

Which of the following did the "human relations" school of management do?

A) It introduced joint or cooperative business ownership.
B) It emphasized more efficient means of organizing work.
C) It showed that workers are not motivated by wages alone.
D) It pushed managers to reintroduce scientific management.

Question 68

Which of the following is linked to increased rates of substance abuse, stress, aggression, and depression in Canada?

A) the increased time pressure that many workers experience
B) the awful working conditions that accompany primary labour market jobs
C) the humiliating effects of working in secondary labour market jobs
D) the inability for people to find even minimum-wage employment

Question 69

What kind of organization is the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada most likely to be?

A) a worker cooperative
B) an expert council
C) a trade union
D) a professional association

Question 70

What do we call organizations that work to promote workers' collective interests and rights?

A) collectives
B) cooperatives
C) confederations
D) unions

Question 71

Jean is a tenured university professor. Which of the following does she belong to through her work?

A) a trade union
B) a worker cooperative
C) a professional association
D) an expert council

Question 72

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

A) less attention to unclear demands by workers
B) more careful selection and training of personnel
C) greater attention to corporate management
D) increased authoritarian leadership on the job

Question 73

Vijay, a recent immigrant from India, has a degree in business administration and 15 years of experience. He has only been able to find work as a clerk at a car rental agency. In thinking about the barriers between primary and secondary markets, what most likely accounts for his lack of success in getting a job for which he is qualified?

A) There are too many entry-level positions in the primary labour market.
B) There are too few entry-level positions in the secondary labour market.
C) He lacks the required training and skill set for a job in the secondary labour market.
D) He lacks an informal network that would link him to a primary labour market job.

Question 74

Where do unions help management to develop systems of labour recruitment, training, and promotion?

A) in quality circles
B) in union collectives
C) in internal labour markets
D) in codetermination cooperatives

Question 75

Ahmed is a dentist in Canada. Which of the following does he belong to through his work?

A) a worker cooperative
B) a professional association
C) a trade union
D) an expert council

Question 76

The credentials required for entry into a profession are highly regulated, a cap on the number of new professionals is maintained, competition is reduced and earning and demand for services is kept high. In these cases, what do professions act as?

A) codetermination councils
B) internal labour markets
C) labour market shelters
D) quality circles

Question 77

Which of the following jobs is most likely to be unionized in Canada?

A) lawyer
B) hospital lab technician
C) retail clerk
D) auto mechanic

Question 78

Jackie finds herself unable to cope with either her job or her home life as a single parent of two teenagers. What is Jackie most likely experiencing?

A) alienation
B) post-traumatic stress disorder
C) stress
D) mental dysfunction

Question 79

Where do unions participate with management to control rates of pay?

A) in quality circles
B) in union collectives
C) in internal labour markets
D) in codetermination cooperatives

Question 80

Lars has just finished high school and has done his homework on the overall employment scenario in his country. He knows that he has about a one in three probability of being part of a unionized workforce. What nation does Lars live in?

A) Canada
B) the United States
C) Sweden
D) Poland