CHAPTER 18: THE ECONOMY AND WORK

(begin this with summary of contributions by Senators to and tight tobacco 
legislation.
   Of the Senators who received $2000 or less in contributions from the 
tobacco industry, only 20 percent voted in support of tobacco legislation.  
On the other hand, of those senators receiving $20,000 or more from the 
tobacco industry, 95 percent voted against & tobacco legislation.

We talked about capitalism in the last lecture, and summarize capitalism 
as the economic system by which the means of production are largely in 
private hands and profits drive the economy.  But we must distinguish 
between laissez-faire capitalism, and controlled capitalism in 
laissez-faire capitalism, which means literally "let them do", people 
could compete freely with minimal government intervention in the economy.  
Business retains the right to regulate itself and essentially operated 
without fear of government.

A MONOPOLY occurs when a single business firm controls the market and 
dominates the industry.  This firm can control prices distribution quality 
and availability.  In the United States, we generally out law monopolis,
but this doesn't mean that one or more large corporations can't often 
control things as they wish.  When this happens we regulate capitalism.
This has led to many modifications of the capitalist system in the last 
century and a half.

In the last lecture we also define socialism and communism.

ASPECTS OF WORK

generally, we work for pay.  We call this our job or our occupation or our 
profession.  Although these often mean the same thing in the broad sense, 
there are some distinctions.

PROFESSION: and occupation requiring extensive knowledge that is governed 
by code of ethics and other professional policies.

OCCUPATION: An occupation is less formal, and generally refers  
to what we do on a regular scale for money. 
as an example medicine and law are professions, the driving a taxi were 
attending bar is an occupation.

These are important distinctions because they tend to describe the role of 
work in our lives.  Those with the profession generally are more 
integrated into their work in the work is more integrated into their life.  
Those who have simply an occupation that is not a profession, or that is 
simply a job, tend to have little commitment to their work, tend to be 
more dissatisfied with their work than those in professions, and tend to 
be more alienated.

ALIENATION: alienation refers to an emotional distance in between a person 
and his or her social or other environment.  Characteristics of 
alienation include:
   a) feelings of powerlessness,
   b) feelings of detachment
   c) Anomie (normlessness)
   d) Little commitment

FOR MARX, capitalism contributes to alienation in:
    a) separation from our work processes
    b) separatio from our work products
    c) Separation from others
    d) separation from self 


WORKER SATISFACTION

sociologists are concerned with issues of burnout and satisfaction.  For 
blue-collar workers especially the repetitive nature of their work and the 
dehumanizing nature of it, can lead to decreased satisfaction.

Americans are working more hours than ever before, in part because of 
short staffing, and in parts to make ends meet.  In 1995, 45 percent of 
absent workers identified personal illness as a reason.  But in 1998, only 
22 percent gave that reason.  Instead, 16 percent cited stress, and 
another 16 percent indicated a sense of entitlement to time off.

What makes a job tolerable?  Positive relations with co-workers, nonwork 
tasks and job-related gratification results that come from wages.  This is 
why some workers say they would not choose the same line of work if they 
could begin their lives over even though they say that they are satisfied 
with their jobs.

Compare the Japanese with the American workers.  In Japan, until recently, 
workers took a collectivist approach and saw their jobs as being lifelong 
and entailing a commitment to their employer.

THE ECONOMY IS CHANGING

the workforce is changing for several reasons.

1.  Affirmative-action

2.  Ethnic and racial diversity

3.  Technological and other changes that changed the nature both jobs and 
    work

DEINDUSTRIALIZATION

the term deindustrialization refers to the systematic widespread 
withdrawal of investment in basic aspects of productivity such as 
factories and plants.  This often involves relocation to other countries, 
or simply abandoning a particular product or manufacturing center.

DOWNSIZING refers to reductions in the Company's workforce.  About 75 
percent of downsized employees find new jobs.  Fourteen are forced into 
retirement, and 11 percent do not find new jobs.  The bulk of downsizing 
or being laid off falls on minorities, such as Hispanics and 
African-Americans.  In fact nearly 20 percent of Hispanics and 
African-Americans are unemployed after two years of being laid off, while 
the figures half that for whites.

our text notes the rise of E-commmerce (discuss)

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