Sociology 252. Exam Notes

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1 Sociology 252 Exam Notes

2 Sociology 252 Industrial Sociology Sociology 252 Exam Short Questions (2 questions which are compulsory) 10 marks each 20 marks altogether THEME 1 Theories of work: Emile Durkheim and Max Weber THEME 2 How shifts in economic policy affected work, employment and consumption THEME 3 How information technology leads to transformation of work THEME 3 Benefits and consequences of outsourcing and casualization for employers and implications for labour THEME 3 How flexibility affects labour relations and regulations THEME 4 How do unions revitalize themselves THEME 5 Social consequences of unemployment and underemployment Long Questions (2 questions, only choose one) 50 marks each THEME 1 Sociological theories of work: Durkheim, Weber and Braverman THEME 3 How flexible employment practices impact on the working conditions and quality of lives of the peripheral workers THEME 4 Factors affecting trade unions decline THEME 4: Various approaches to employee relations and different management styles suitable to today s workplace THEME 5 The impact of flexible employment practices on gender relations in the workplace and the family

3 THEME ONE Work in historical and theoretical context Objective: explain how work has changed through the different eras with reference to the impact of technology and the effect this has on social relations. Definition of work Socio-cultural evolution how societies have undergone a time of change. The most important element in this change is the influence of technology. A cultural information is something to so with the culture of individuals, that is, the way in which the material resources in the environment are being manipulated to meet human needs within society. There are five known societies in the world: Work in pre-industrial society: 1. Hunting and gathering societies o years ago all humans were hunters and gatherers o These societies placed a heavy influence on kinship and family ties, were loyalties were evident o They had limited technology and often used primitive tools in order to survive o These societies were nomadic in nature, moving to areas that they could survive in o In such societies they tended to share the work amongst the family or kinship in order to accomplish tasks faster. There tended to be a sense of community living as opposed to individual living where work relations were cooperative. Thus, this indicated that there was a limited division of labour o Their beliefs centered around religion and the existence of a spiritual leader o Emphasised in this society was the centrality of family, where work was embedded in this In June 2008, the so-called unexplored Amazon Basin Tribe was sighted by explorers. Several near-naked tribesmen were seen firing arrows at the plane thinking they are under threat. Deep in the Amazon forest, there are estimated 40 groups of truly isolated indigenous people. Although many doubt their existence, the truth of the matter is that this tribe is among 200 tribes found in Brazil. Few modern San are able to continue as huntergatherers, and most live at the very bottom of the social scale. These migratory people do not domesticate animals or cultivate crops, even though their knowledge of both flora and fauna is vast. The San are a friendly, creative, and peaceful people.

4 2. Horticultural and pastoral societies o Emerged less than years ago; o This society was more progressed than the hunter gatherers, they had new technology such as the garden hoe and thus they did not rely as much on primitive tools o Cultivation of plants and domestication of animals became a priority where they no longer primitively hunted their food but rather cultivated crops o Semi-nomadic: move only when their food sources have been depleted indicating a more advanced state of being o Surplus food was created for trade in order to obtain more variety thus indicating that they have a more specialized and complex social arrangement o As a result of this increased cultivation and domestication of animals there was an increase in social inequality, where the elite were better off than the average person o In terms of religion, the attachment to the land and creatures made these people worship ancestors. In this time, Christianity, Islam and Judaism became very popular o This stage highlighted the first predatory era, where individuals were captured as slaves for the first time in history to work for the new elite in society o The concept of division of labour became prominent at this time, were there was a division between work and warrior. Chief warriors emerged that controlled the rest of the workers. Thus, evidently so, a development of a hierarchy became clear Peoples of Kenya: The Maasai Famous as herders and warriors, the Maasai once dominated the plains of East Africa; now, they are confined to a fraction of their former range. The Maasai are pastoralist and have not strayed from the traditional ways of life. The Maasai try to resist the urging of the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle; instead, they prefer to remain nomadic herdsmen, moving as their needs necessitate. This is becoming more difficult in modern times as their open plains disappear. Rejecting the cash economy and refusing to settle or become farmers has made life difficult and harsh. 3. Agrarian societies o Emerged about 5,000 years ago o This society was the most advanced pre-industrial society, where they harnessed animal power to use in the cultivation of agriculture as well as for transport o Also, within this period was a time of technological innovation, surpassing all over societies before the agrarians o Under the Agrarian society, a new degree of settlement permanence originated where specialization triumphed the old bartering economy, producing a currency with which to accelerate the industrial process o This led to a massive increase in production resulting in permanent settlement of individuals and groups. This was the first time that people settled in one spot, and they could only do so because of the increased mechanization they were

5 experiencing as a society that allowed them not only to live in one place but thrive o As a result of this, social differentiation resulted where the emergence of many, and the expansion of different trades and occupations and urbanization led to people differentiating themselves and seeking individualism as opposed to collectivism o Religion and social order o Important historical juncture- emergence of productive and unproductive labour, class structure Features of pre-industrial societies 1. Work is embedded in social relations 2. Surplus is shared 3. Traditional obligation in employment structure 4. Sense of social solidarity important to help each other 4. Industrial societies o Industrialism and the industrial revolution of 1750 transformed the landscape o progression from the Agrarian to Industrial society, was characterized by a greater degree of technological efficiency, mass production and even greater social inequality o industrialism and industrial revolution 1750 o new forms of energy emerged in accordance with the introduction of factories o as a result, work moved from home and on land to the factory resulting in a rapid social transformation o transportation and electronic communication emerged as a key development in this period o However, as a result of industrialization, social consequences became apparent 1. Pollution from the increased production 2. Loss of working relationships and kinship ties 3. Life expectancy decreased due to a drop in the standard of living and immigration of individuals into the country that brought with them several other diseases 4. Occupational specialization: anonymity and cultural diversity 5. Change in social relations 6. Erosion of traditional values in favour of more modern individualistic values 7. The prominence of divorce, single-parenting, homosexuality and stepfamilies emerged 8. Equality and inequality grows where the border between the two became more defined 9. Unemployment and poverty became rampant 5. Post-industrial societies o This period is characterized by computer-linked technology that supports an information based economy o New society that is based on information technology where there is emphasis on acquiring information based skills

6 o Information/cyber/postmodern/networked society o Shift from factories and machinery to computer and electronic devices which create, process, store and apply information o There is the decentralization of work o Change in the occupation structure Manual (those that actually do the labour vs. mental (those that conceptualize the idea) service industries separation Utilise less labour force Ranks workers who process information; new skills required; multitask i.e. there is more emphasis on education o Division of labour is very evident o Societal stress o Technology on its own in neutral it is the person behind the invention of that technology that can use it against the human race o Technology provided a solution in which more products were being produced, however it has its own limits e.g. unemployment, pollution, corruption. Transformation of the World Economy Agricultural Revolution: Production based on steam engine and water, production process starts to revolve around the DOL as the size of production increases Industrial Revolution: Development of industries in Europe and North America with the creation of new forms of energy (electricity), centralisation of work in factories, manufacturing and mass production, DOL and specialisation, wage labour Post-Fordism: New shifts in production with more flexibility (JIT), new working schedules (Part-time workers), added value goods, international DOL and customer segmentation, increasing niche marketing Information Revolution: Development of mainframe computers, personal computers and the internet, introduces new ideas such as the creativity rather than the production of goods, literacy skills in order to increase communication and profits to a certain extent, decentralisation of work, people work anywhere 4 th Revolution: builds on the 3 rd Revlon and is based on developments in mobile internet and cloud technology, genetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology that enables more efficient delivery of services and opportunities to increase workforce productivity resulting in change in skills requirements (cognitive flexibility, negotiation, service orientation, emotional intelligence, creativity, critical thinking, complex problem solving, people management, judgement and decision-making)