Work Poverty and Welfare

Absolute poverty

Poverty defined as lacking the minimum requirements necessary to maintain human health. Linked to Rowntree and the poverty line and Budget Standards Measure

Aesthetic labour

When a job only requires low skills workers who seem to "look the part" are chosen for the job.

Ageism

Stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination against individuals or groups on the grounds of their age

Alienation

The lack of power, control, fulfilment and satisfaction experienced by workers in a capitalist society, where the means of producing goods are privately owned and controlled. 4 types of alienation from product, process, humans and species

Anomie

A sense of normlessness, confusion and uncertainty over social norms, often found in periods of rapid social change and other disruptions of the routines and traditions of everyday social life.

Benefit erosion

The gradual removal of benefits - this has happened over time by the coalition and current conservative government

Big society

Linked to Prime Minister David Cameron, it is the idea that individuals are responsible for themselves and that by working together without state help we can create strong societies. This message was used to support a New Right approach to welfare and to encourage people to help each other rather than be welfare dependent

Black magic roundabout

Craine - refers to the carousel of unemployment, government training schemes and the informal economy that young people are subject to. He argues many young people 'fall off' and turn to crime or become single parents

Blue Collar

Manual workers , an outdated term used to describe factory workers who used to wear blue collar overalls

Budgets Standards Measure

Bradshaw's way of measuring absolute poverty. It is the amount of money that is needed to buy a basket of goods that are considered as necessities to someone.

Bourgeoisie

The class of owners of the means of production in industrial societies, whose primary purpose is to make profits.

Capitalism (links to Marxism)

An economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange of wealth are made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, whose primary aim is to make profits.

Claimant count

This records the number of people who are relying on benefits and it can also see who is actively looking for employment.

Class Consciousness

An awareness in members of a social class of their real interests. In Marxism class consciousness would be when the working class realise they are being exploited. Marx argues that only then can they revolt against the bourgeoisie

Collective Conscience

The shared beliefs and values which form moral ties binding communities together, and regulate individual behaviour

Consumerism (links to postmodernism)

The increasing consumption of goods in society.

Consumption property

Wealth for use by the owner, such as consumer goods like fridges, cars, or a home that you own, which do not produce any income

Core workers

Another way of describing the primary labour market - the core are the essential high quality roles in society

cultural deprivation

The idea that some young people fail in education because of supposed cultural deficiencies in their home and family background, such as inadequate socialization, failings in pre-school learning, inadequate language skills and inappropriate attitudes and values. To be culturally deprived means you lack the cultural capital of the middle classes

Culture of Poverty

A set of beliefs and values thought to exist among the poor which prevents them escaping from poverty. Linked to Lewis and New Right views

Cycle of deprivation

An explanation of how one aspect of poverty, such as poor housing, can lead to further poverty, such as poor health, building up into a cycle which makes it difficult for the poor to escape from poverty. This is sometimes called the poverty trap - a person is in p0overty and is unable to escape.

Dependency culture

An idea from Marsland that suggests people rely on state benefits with no aspirations to work which is why they are and stay in poverty. Used to argue against high levels of benefit and state support

Deprivation index

A list of items, lifestyle indicators or needs, such as food, health, housing, income, ownership of consumer goods, and access to transport, used to measure the level of deprivation experienced by an individual, group or geographical area. Initially developed by Townsend.

Deskilling

A situation in which the skills and knowledge previously needed to do a job are no longer required. A good example would be in printing photographs which used to need four specialized workers, but can now be done by a computer operated by a relatively unskilled person.

Developed world

High income, high welfare societies with high levels of consumption and skills

Diaspora

The movement or displacement of an ethnic population form its homeland. Linked to the movement of people from different countries of work eg from India to the UK, there is an Indian diaspora living in the UK

Disneyisation

Linked to McDonaldisation, the idea that processes originally observed in Disney theme parks have spread across to other workplaces. These include the theming of workplaces, the existence of multiple locations of consumption, merchandising and emotional labour ' cheerful employees with fixed smiles)

Division of Labour

The division of work or occupations into a large number of specialized tasks, each of which is carried out by one worker or group of workers.

Dual Labour Market Theory

A theory that says there are two types of employment - the primary labour market with secure, permanent jobs, and the secondary one with insecure, often temporary, part-time work.

Ethnicity

The shared culture of a social group which gives its members a common identity in some ways different from that of other groups.

Earned income

Income that is earned or worked for through paid work.

Economically active population

The fraction of a population that is employed or actively seeking employment.

Entrepreneurial

Risk taking business people who are driven by a desire to make profit

exploitation

Treating someone or something unfairly in order to benefit yourself. For example via minimum wage or zero hour contracts while the owners make huge profits

feminisation of poverty

Women represent a disproportionate percentage of the worlds poor.

Feminism

The view that examines the world from the point of view of women, coupled with the belief that women are disadvantaged and their interests ignored or devalued in society

False Consciousness

A lack of awareness among people about what their real interests are, and the false belief that everyone benefits from the present organization of society, which is presented as fair and just.

Financial Satisfaction

The feeling of being happy about the amount of money you have, this is what is measured by the financial satisfaction survey which measures subjective poverty

Fordism

It refers to the application of mass production techniques eg the assembly line, for mass produced products. Links to henry Ford and the mass production of the motor car

Functionalism

A consensus theory: A sociological perspective and structural theory which sees society as made up of parts which work together to maintain society as an integrated whole. Society is seen as fundamentally harmonious and stable, because of the agreement on basic values (value consensus) established through socialization.

Globalisation

The growing interdependence of societies across the world, with the spread of the same culture, consumer goods and economic interests across the globe.

hidden poverty

Poverty that goes unnoticed by other people, often linked to women

horizontal segregation

When men and women are in different jobs with men being in the higher paid primary sector job and women getting less pay usually with a job in the secondary labour market. Horizontal means across sectors eg men as accountants and women as hairdressers

Household Below Average Income (HBAI)

A new way of measuring poverty where households receiving less than 60% of the median income are considered poor

Ideological state apparatus

A way through which the ruling class transmit their values causing false consciousness among the poorer classes. Education, religion and media are all part of this.

Income

Money that comes into your account, could come from wages, pensions, renting out second houses etc.

informal providers

A way of providing welfare, usually done by family members for free. It is unstructured.

Institutional racism

Intentional or unintentional racism that occurs in an institution e.g. a school.

Labour

work or a mainstream, left wing, political party, which stemmed from the trade union movement.

Labour market

A place where workers and employees interact with each other usually to hire people for jobs.

labour market segregation

Segregation in the labour market. Included horizontal and vertical segregation

Life chances

The chances of obtaining desirable things and avoiding undesirable things in society. People of higher class or majority race or people in the south of England for example are likely to experience better life chances. Social mobility can improve your life chances

Long range mobility

When people are able to move up or down through the class system by a significant amount. Can happen within a generation or across generations

Marginalisation

The process where some people are pushed to the edges of society because of poverty, education or racism,

Market position

Refers to the skills you possess as a worker and how desirable you are to employers.

Market situation

(Weber)The rewards that people are able to obtain when they sell their skills in the labour market, depending on the scarcity of the skills they have and the power they have to obtain high rewards.

Marketable wealth

Assets which you could sell eg cars or houses

Marxism

The idea that we live in a capitalist society where the ruling class exploit the working class.

material deprivation

The lack of things that money can buy that can lead to educational success.

McDonaldisation,

An idea from Ritzer that explains how other workplaces are similar to the McDonalds workplace. The key ideas are efficiency, calculability, predictability and control.

Means-tested benefits

Benefits that you have to qualify for e.g. you earn under a certain amount of money which is making you poor.

Mechanic Solidarity

A term associated with Durkheim that refers to tight knit societies with a strong sense of shared values.

mechanism of objectification

The tools in society which are used to objectify individuals

Median income

The middle value of income people receive.

Meritocracy

A society where rewards are based on merits, talent and effort, the most demanding and highly regarded roles are held by those who most deserve them.

Migration

The movement of people from one area to another.

Moral density

Durkheim- uses this to describe the positive effects of the division of labour, by each taking part in a small role to complete a whole we must depend on each other, this moral density has increased through more dense populations and better means of communication

new international division of labour

Concept that describes the global labour market where workers compete for jobs through the location of industries. For example primary labour jobs are done in developed countries while secondary labour jobs are outsourced.

New Right

The view of right wing thinkers that competition and the market should reduce poverty not the welfare state. Focus on having limited means tested benefits to reduce welfare dependency.

Non-domicile

People who live or work in the UK temporarily but are not based here.

Non-marketable wealth

Assets which you cannot sell eg pensions

Non-standard jobs

Things like temporary or fixed term contracts.

Organic Solidarity

A term that refers to an individualistic industrial structure where people are connected by the wider structure.

Outsourcing

A practice used by companies to save money where they transfer portions of work from developed locations to developing ones

Periphery labour market

the same as the secondary labour market.(the equivalent term for the primary labour market would be 'the core labour market')

Personal wealth

Assets that are owned by individuals.

Physical efficiency

A term that refers to a fixed basic minimum income below which human life cannot be maintained.

Post Fordist

After-Fordism - production is not tailored to individual needs and requirements. This includes things 'made to order' or made just 'in time'. It requires a flexible workforce that can adapt quickly

Poverty line

An income line below which people are unable to afford to buy basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter.

Poverty trap

When people are unable to come off of benefits and get a job because the benefits pay more money. This means they cannot work their way up to better income and therefore just stay poor.

Primary Labour Market

A market that consists of high paying jobs.

private provision

the private provision (of welfare) describes the sector of welfare providers that work for profit and are financed by their consumers. They operate in a free and increasingly unregulated market

Productive property

(eg rented accommodation) assets that yield income for the proprietor

Relative poverty

When you are poor compared to those around you in your specific society at a specific time. It is measured using a deprivation index. See above

Reskilling

When a person needs to return to education or training to gain new skills to meet the demands of the labour market eg learn new ICT skills to keep up with new technologies

Reserve Army of Labour

A Marxist term that refers to the least secure section of the workforce. They are constantly looking for jobs or better jobs and are quick to take peoples place. Usually from the lower classes, but in a globalised world migrants form the EU often form part of the Uk reserve army of labour, coming to the UK when employment levels are high and leaving when there is a recession

Scientific management

Linked to manufacturing the most efficient production techniques are calculated to minimise costs and maximise profits

secondary labour market

Consists of lower skilled poorer paid jobs, will include minimum wage jobs and zero hour contracts ad well as low paying permanent jobs

short range mobility

When people do not move very far through the class system

situational constraints'

Constraints that prevent you from success and could cause you to be poor. Linked to structural causes of poverty

Social cohesion

The willingness of members of society to cooperate with each other to survive and prosper.

Social Democratic

An ideology that is centred on the state to help bring out a more equal and fair society, has a system of high taxation and high welfare most commonly linked to Swedish models of welfare provision

Social exclusion

When people are excluded from participating in society because they cannot afford to do so.

Social wage

Goods provided as benefits to support family income.

socially excluded

To be separated from wider society, this could be through race, disability, unemployment etc. seen as a type of poverty

state provision

The provision of welfare through the state.

structurally excluded

when an individual is discriminated against as a result of the way society is structured. Eg feminists would argue that women are structurally excluded due to patriarchal society.

Subjective poverty

the individuals perception of their financial situation. Measured with the financial satisfaction question (1-10).

subsistence poverty

the level of access to public services like safe water, sanitation, roads, footpaths, etc.

surveillance

monitoring of the workforce by an employer (Zuboff). Links to increased CCTV, being watched over by supervisors and regular performance management