Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Informationalism and Division of Labor

Hey all, we didn't manage to cover all our discussion questions this week, so this week's blogging prompt is from the question list. As you're responding, please note your classmates' responses. Try to respond to each other as much as my prompt.

4. Robert Reich (former Secretary of Labor who also made a cameo in the “Digital Divides” video) has suggested “the principal division [in labor] is no longer between blue-and white-collar workers but rather among three new categories” (22). What are those categories and how are they different than blue- and white-collar divisions? How do these divisions play into our discussions about inequality, digital divide, and racial ravines?

17 comments:

  1. The three new categories of job division are routine production workers, in-person service workers, and symbolic analysts. What sets these jobs apart for the blue and white collar jobs of the past is the fact that automated processes have taken the place of many blue collar jobs and these processes now must be managed by routine production workers who process data or work in factories, but more so by symbolic analysts like software engineers. The idea of symbolic engineers did not really exist in the past because now, as opposed to a person on an assembly line there are machines. These machines need to be programmed and require a different type of specialization which itself requires schooling and access to information. It is jobs like this that have created the information revolution where one's hands-on ability is less important than their knowledge and their literacy.

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  2. As Zak stated above, the three new categories of job division are routine production workers, in-person service workers and symbolic analysts. Blue-collar jobs can be defined as workers to where uniform on the job, generally factory type workers (manual labor) in the middle/lower class, and white-collar jobs can be defined as "office and professional workers whose jobs generally don't involve manual labor or the wearing of a uniform" (dictionary.com). Therefore, I think the major distinction between the new and old divisions is in reference to computer use. All jobs now require or are performed using computers. Therefore, the three new divisions are based on the amount and type of computer use, whereas blue/white-collar jobs were divisions of manual or non-manual labor.

    These new divisions, based on the amount and type of computer use, I believe, will only contribute to the digital divide. Though we are ever in a cycling state, cycling out old ways of life, evolving into new technologies generationally, etc., technology is still not affordable and accessible enough to every person. The lack of accessibility and capability will not prepare anyone for the workforce. However, as new generations cycle in, growing up with technology, and old generations cycle out, those clueless about technology, the use of computers in the work force will become second-hand. I don't know if it will ever be safe to say if the exponential evolution of computers will ever level off; meaning new technology has reached it's limit and we can't really invent anything new. At that point in society, we all will be caught up in the technology world, where technology is affordable and every person satisfies the 4Cs; but until then, there will ever be those still trying to catch up and learn the new ways. In other words, there will always be inequality, a digital divide, and racial ravines.

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  3. *Routine Production Workers
    *In-person Service Workers
    *Symbolic Analysts

    In today's society, these three are set apart by more than blue collar and white collar. Routine production workers do boring, monotonous, and unskilled labor. Service workers have a little more responsibilities. They need to have people skills in order to be successful. However, this can be taught relatively easily with no major schooling. "Symbolic analysts" seem to be set apart from the other two. These people have careers that are dynamic, involving problem solving, computer skills and a wide range of knowledge. This is where the digital divide comes into play. Disadvantaged people who lack access to information cannot create opportunities for themselves to reach the upper echelon of jobs. The symbolic analysts us the Internet and other technologies in an effective and engaging way. As a result of extraneous matters, some people have not been exposed to these concepts.

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  4. The three new divsions of labor are routine production workers, in-person service workers, and symbolic analysts. These categories differ from the old division of labor consisting of blue collar and white collar workers.
    I see production workers and in-person service workers as hybrids of white and blue collar workers. Blue collar workers generally used to be classified as facotry workers. I see the connection between routine production workers and blue collar workes. Now examples of routine production workers are factory workers, payroll clerks, etc. The one distinction between the two are the amount of technology each uses. Facotry work used to involve putting parts together, now employees use high tech machines to put products together, while never really touching the product.
    White collar workers could be classified as office workers. In-person service workers are similiar to the old white collar workers. Both do not work with that much technology but rather work with people.
    That leaves symbolic analysts. Symbolic analysts invent the technology that in-person service workers and routine production workers use. New technology is designed by engineers who design fuel efficient cars for taxi drivers and nuclear reactors for power sources. These technologies enable lower paid jobs to exist.
    To me, the switch from blue/white collar was only possible because of symbolic analysts.
    Furthermore, the labor division shows the inequality between workers. Symbolic analysts hold all the power and money. They give technology to lower classes as they see fit. Like Mason said, the lower echelons cannot advance because they never have the most recent technology analysts invent.

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  5. The three new categories that have replaced white- and blue-collar workers are routine production workers, in-person service workers, and symbolic analysts. These jobs are different from white- and blue-collar workers because of the amount of technology involved. Though routine production workers can be compared to blue-collar workers, their jobs are vastly different due to the amount of technology used by each job. The jobs of blue-collar workers have changed from factory workers to more automated jobs such as data processors, payroll clerks, and now-day factory workers. Their jobs have been simplified because of the useage of technology. Also, white-collar workers can be compared to in-person service workers, as both groups of occupations have to do with working with people. Once again, however, this group of jobs has become easier due to the amount of technology that is now available. It might not necessarily be that the amount of work is less, just that there are different types of skills demanded. The third group of jobs, symbolic analysts, are a group of jobs almost completely created with the useage of new technology. They use technology for trying to figure out what data means, communicating with international corporations, and creating multimedia procucts. These new types of jobs I believe will contribute to the digital divide, because of the skills required for most of them. Though they may be basic skills that most people could have, there are alot of people who don't have access to knowledge of such skills and may therefore find it difficult to acquire these skills.

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  6. RESOURCES

    There are four resources related to ICT access: physical, digital, human, and social. Basically, because literacy practice and technology vary so much, there are many types and gradations of ICT access; this means that its function in society can be related to these FOUR things rather than one, universal set that not everyone can benefit from. They separate the four to better analyze use and content. For example, digital resources is about online internet information. Human resources refer to literacy and education, etc. Physical resources are the 4 C's (connectivity and access mostly). Social resources refer to institution and societal impact by ICT and support of it. This model analyzes both individuals and large groups of people, and considers all the aspects of the information and communication technology network.

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  7. As everyone has stated, the three new categories are routine production workers such as data processors, payroll clerks, and factory workers; in-person service workers such as janitors, hospital attendants, and taxi drivers; and symbolic analysts such as software engineers, management consultants, and strategic planers. Employees in all three of these categories use computers or the internet in their jobs. The divisions are based on how they use of ICTs, in routine or complex ways. The white and blue collar division was based on the job itself. Blue collar jobs involve manual labor, while white collar jobs are professional office or administrative. By dividing careers in terms of their use of technology, a great ravine is created. People are separated more by their ability and access to the internet. It creates a larger inequality as it is added to the list of factors causing the digital divide.

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  8. there has been 2 types of workers such as blue and white collar workers. these brings into 2 types of division, white collar workers are educated and performs professional office the other one is manual labor that counts as blue collar. as Reich explained that we no longer need these 2 types of categories. thus he came up with the three new categories. these are routine production workers, in person service workers, and symbolic analysts. these all may use ICT to their jobs and gain more knowledge. and also by using ICT people can help to develop production. to having these new categories people can do what they are good at, and they all can be in wherever they want to be without inequality.

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  9. Do I really need to say the three categories again? I think we all know what they are.

    When I read this part of the article, it reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie's dad had a job putting on toothpaste caps when a machine put him out of the job. Then you find out that Charlie's dad got a new job, repairing the machine that took his place. It just kind of shows how while certain mundane jobs may be fizzling out due to machines, the machines then create new jobs.

    A lot of these new jobs require intricate knowledge of the subject, whether that is toothpaste machines or a computer. That is where the problem sets in is how do people obtain that knowledge when they don't have access to the tools of knowledge or even places they can go and practice. The digital divide causes an even larger division between routine production workers and symbolic analysts. The routine workers may not be able to get as much out of the new technology as the symbolic analysts who use it everyday. Then the workers get stuck in the rut of slowly losing their jobs to machines and trying to either find new jobs or some how jumping across the divide. While the old way of looking at society (blue vs. white collar) still is around, the three group way is more accurate. Nowadays, even to be a so called "blue collar" worker, you need some type of digital access and schooling in order to really be good at what you do. It's no longer about how strong you are physically, but how strong you are mentally.

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  10. The three new categories of labor are production workers (data processors, payroll clerks, and factory workers), in-person service workers (janitors, hospital attendants, taxi drivers), and symbolic analysts (software engineers, management consultants and strategic planners). These categories differ from blue- and white-collar divisions because each of the new categories include the use of computer or internet in their jobs. Many blue-collar jobs previously did not rely on computers or internet in their job and now they are forced to use them routinely every day. I relate the white-collar workers more to the symbolic analysts because they are now required in their jobs to make use of ICT by interpreting data, creating knowledge and develop complex ideas.

    I think these categories will contribute to the digital divide by increasing it. The first two groups (production workers and in-person service workers) only use computers in routine ways so they will not learn how to use the internet and computers in ways that are not required in their daily routine. Symbolic analysts who are required to analyze and make use of computers and the internet will gain more knowledge than the other two groups creating a larger digital divide. So in a sense this digital divide will not created by race its created by education.

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  11. Just like everyone else is mentioning the three new categories of labor are the production workers, the in-person service workers, and the symbolic analysts. These new categories are much different than blue and white collar work because of the technological boom that we have had in the past 50 years. Now machines are taking the place of many workers and the new work that we need done deals with processing information and engineering new technologies to make our lives easier. Almost all jobs that you will now go into deal some way or another with computers and technology. Very rarely do you find a job without these aspects and these technologies are the things creating the new types of job categories that we saw in the readings.

    I am not entirely sure how these categories will contribute to the digital divide. Blue and White collar jobs used to be maintained by people who did not have a high level of technological confidence. Now that machines are eliminating these jobs, these people are either being forced to acquire a technological basis or they will not find work. With so many people going to college these days and growing up with computers I am not sure how other older people just learning the technology basics are going to compete.

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  12. Like everyone has stated the 3 new job categories are Routine Production Workers,In-person Service Workers, and Symbolic Analysts. As technological advancements have been made machines replaced the jobs that involved little skill. Now, as these advancements are being made, the digital divide is even more obvious, because these workers often times do not have the education or skill to keep up with the advancing technologies. Their jobs in most cases also do not require training in using computers or using the internet.

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  13. Alright, I am going to be the 13th person to answer the exact same question. However, I will try to add something to spice it up and differentiate my answer from everyone else's in the class.

    3 Categories
    -routine production workers (data processors, payroll clerks, factory workers)
    -in-person service workers (janitors, hospital attendants, taxi drivers)
    -symbolic analysts (software engineers, management consultants, strategic planners)

    The assignment of these new categories from the traditional blue/white-collared worker roles is that in the past, blue-collared workers were advanced because they had access to technology. On the other hand, white-collared workers were at a disadvantage, for they did not have that access. Reich believes that now, in an age of information and technology, everyone now has access. The real question today is though, what type of access does each group have? According to Reich, routine production workers and in-person service workers have access to data entry, whereas symbolic analysts create things using that technology.

    This relates back to our discussion regarding the digital divide and racial ravine incredibly. If someone doesn't even have access to a computer ever in their lives, how are they expected to understand those technologies provided to them in the work place? Forget about even entering the work force as a routine production worker. The bottom line is that everyone needs that experience with computers and other technology sources, even to land the least prestigious of jobs!

    Also, to close my entry here, I have a question for Jenna H who wrote earlier on this topic. She wrote that the digital divide will be even larger due to these new technological advances, which I agree with. However, Jenna, do you think that people with zero technology experience will even be hired if they cannot complete the tasks involving technology? Since we are in an age that relies largely on technology, what will happen to those who are unable to afford a computer or who have never seen a keyboard or mouse before?

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  14. Routine Production Workers, In-person Service Workers, and Symbolic Analysts. As stated above, the routine production workers are pretty clear, doing more routine work including things like data entry-- I had an experience like this at an internship this summer! .. The In-person service workers do more hands on things like custodial and housekeeping works. The symbolic analysts have more of a planning and creative role.

    According to Reich, everyone can access technology as a result of the expanding information technologies. However, as demonstrated by the lower level jobs, all levels in the corporate world are now dependent on technology, meaning that those who don't have access to the technology are basically, in a word, horribly screwed.

    To respond to the post above me, as well as Jenna H's post, I think those who have access will be given the higher levels jobs whereas those who have never seen a computer or a mouse will likely have to fill the lowest level positions in society, and possibly the few manual labor positions that remain... which are def. lower paying jobs, which isn't good.

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  15. 1. Routine Production workers
    2. In person service workers
    3. Symbolic Analysts

    Like everyone else has said I do agree that jobs that can be replaced by technology and animated services will be. And it seems that everyone is catching on to this "trend" To some it makes life more convenient, might be cheaper but on the other hand might create more problems.With the last few elections how many times did you go home to find an animated message from a politician telling you to "vote for them"...etc. If these blue collar jobs are being replaced, people will be desperate to find any job available and those jobs are more than likely low paying and undesirable. If people are making less money they will be less likely to afford new technology or advanced technology, adding to the divide through access.

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  16. The three new classes suggested by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich are routine production workers, in-person service workers and symbolic analysts. Although every one of these categories deals with the use of computers, only symbolic analysts use them extensively and in a creative manor. In other words, Robert Reich believes that all occupations from here on out will deal with computers. This could either widen the digital divide or close it. Since every job involves the use of computers, everyone will have to become more computer savvy in order to acquire an occupation. This could either result in everybody mastering this technology (or at least learning how to use it adequately) or in some groups of people not being able to get work because they aren’t able to use computers, which would only worsen the digital divide. Only time will tell how this new work force will affect the digital divide.

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  17. The blue-collar/white-collar replacement classes are routine production workers, in-person service workers, and symbolic analysts.
    I believe Reich has used these classes as replacement for the old terminology because there are many more separations and "digital divides" now with our huge increase of information technology used in the work place that we've experienced in the past few decades.
    These categories are very pertinent to what we've been learning in class as far as the disparities that cause people to fall into the three different working classes. Disparities like education, race and socioeconomic status can all be held accountable for why a person belongs in a certain working class. When more disparities are involved, the digital divide is more prominent.

    One correction to another classmate's post regarding blue-collar/white-collar:
    The blue collar workers are characterized as doing a lot of manual labor, such as construction work, and white-collar workers are characterized as being in more administrative, office-setting positions. Blue collar workers had less access to technology than white collar.

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