THE ECONOMY AND WORK IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Global Econometric Interdependence and Competition. Most social analysts predict that transnational corporations will become even more significant in the global economy of this century. As they continue to compete for world market share. these corporations will become even less aligned with the values of any one nation. However. those who advocate increased globalization typically focus on its potential impact on industrialized nations. not …

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The Global Economy in the Future How will the u.s. economy look in the future? What about the global economy? Although sociologists do not have a crystal ball with which to predict the future. some general trends can be suggested industries. At the same time, workers may increasingly  be fragmented into two major labor market divisions:(J) those who work …

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Employment Opportunities for Persons with a Disability An estimated 48 million persons in the United States have one or more physical or mental disabilities that differentially affect their opportunities lor employment. 111is number continues to increase for several reasons. First. with advances in medical technology. many people who formerly would have died from an accident or illness now survive. although with an …

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Absenteeism, Sabotage, and Resistance Absenteeism is one means by which workers resist working conditions that they consider to he oppressive. Ben Hamper (1992: 47) describes how employees were chastised in a meeting for their absenteeism at the Flint, Michigan. GM plant: 111e Plant Manager introduced the man in charge of overseeing worker attendance …. lIe didn’t seem happy at all.  attendance man unveiled …

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Worker Resistance and Activism In their individual and collective struggles to improve’  it their work environment and gain some measure  over their activities, workers. have used a number of methods to resist workplace alienation. Many have also joined labor unions to gain strength-through collective actions Labor Unions u.s. labor unions came into being in the mid-nineteenth century, as previously …

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Unemployment Even when national or regional unemployment rates are low, there are still people looking for a job. As companies restructure, downsize. or go out of business, tens of thousands arc at least temporarily Jobless. Disputes with employers cause some workers to quit a job  and look for another line, and other workers may leavea job because they believe …

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The Underground Economy Some social analysts make a distinction between the legitimate and the underground economies in the United States. For the most part. the occupations previously described in this chapter operate within the legitimate economy: Taxes on income are paid by employers and employees. and individuals who hold jobs requiring a specialized license (such as craftspeople or taxi drivers) possess-the appropriate …

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Contingent Work Contingent work is part-time work, temporary work, or subcontracted work that offers advantages to employers but that can be detrimental to the welfare of workers. Contingent work is found in every segment of the war\’ force, including colleges and universities. where tenure-track positions are fewer in number than in the past and a series of one-year, non-tenure-track appointments at the …

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The Lower TIer of the Service Sector and Marginal Jobs Positions in the lower tier of the service sector are part of the secondary labor market, characterized by low wages. little job security, few chances for advancement,  higher unemployment rates, and very limited (if any)unemployment benefits. Typical lower-tier posllions include janitor. waitress, messenger, sales clerk, typist, file clerk, migrant laborer, …

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Professions What occupations are professions? Athletes who are paid for playing sports are referred to as “professional athletes:’ Dog groomers. pest exterminators. automobile mechanics. and nail technicians (manicurists) also refer to themselves as professionals. Although sociologists  do not always agree on exactly which occupations are professions. they do agree that the number of people categorized as “professionals” has grown dramatically since …

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