Electronic Sweatshop By Barbara Garson Essay Research free essay sample

Electronic Sweatshop By Barbara Garson Essay, Research Paper Journal # 1 The Electronic Sweatshop by Barbara Garson Introduction A ; Chapters 1 to 2 Drumhead In her debut, Barbara Garson gives the reader an thought of her personal work experience as a clerk with mechanization. One can see that Garson is a strong review of mechanization. In order to convey how mechanization is impacting our society the writer begins by analysing and analyzing assorted occupations from the underside on up ( i.e. get downing with the most unskilled labour ) . Chapter one examines the assorted businesss at McDonalds # 8217 ; s. Barbara Garson finds that most workers here tend to dislike their occupations. Due to the enormous sum of emphasis created by machine-controlled systems such as timers and computing machine generated productiveness statistics McDonald # 8217 ; s has a high bend over rate in employment. The 2nd chapter of the book trades with reserve agents employed at air hoses. Barbara Garson explains how this profession has besides undergone mechanization. By questioning persons at American Airlines and Air Canada she finds that conversations with clients are no longer controlled by the reserve agent, but by a set of books or even a supervisor secretively listening in on the conversation. Critical Analysis Both of these two chapters analyze the effects of mechanization on two different types of professions. I found it interesting that persons working as reserve agents find it easier to get by with mechanization than McDonald # 8217 ; s employees. I guess this is due to the fact that reserve agents are allowed to pattern a little more single thought than person waiting for a doorbell stating him or her when to toss a meat cake. However, I have worked as a tele-marketer here at the university beging financess from alumnas and old pupils. What attracted me to the occupation was the comparatively high wage ( plus committee ) . Yet, on my first couple yearss at the occupation I already was bombarded with several books and regulations I needed to follow. At first I tried to utilize my ain colloquial accomplishments when covering with clients, but it did non take long until my supervisors started to train me about how of import it purportedly is to follow the given books. Hence, I used these books and my 5 hr work twenty-four hours seemed like an infinity. I felt like a wind-up doll and finally discontinue the occupation although I was urgently in demand of money. The ground I am adverting this is because I believe that in world there is no difference between the fast nutrient employee and the reserve agent in footings of individualism. Through mechanization, both professions have lost their personal touch to the populace. In my instance I tried to beg financess from persons utilizing my ain thoughts and creativeness, yet was non allowed to make so. Hence, my occupation became humdrum. Quite candidly I do non believe # 8220 ; Kenny # 8221 ; when he states that he likes his work. He argues that he gets to cover with the populace. But in order to make so he follows an unoriginal set of books and phrases. Therefore, does he truly acquire to speak to the populace or is he simply a machine or parrot triggered by certain cardinal words such as Yes, No, or Possibly. Furthermore, Kenny was an histrion. This profession besides requires one to follow books, yet what sets one histrion apart from another is their individualism. When Kenny plays a function where he has to portray certain emotions he does non follow a given set of regulations but his ain intuition as an experient histrion. I find it sad that certain professions have become so humdrum. Through my old occupations I have realized nevertheless that it takes a great trade of job-hopping in order to happen the ideal occupation. An ideal occupation for me is disputing and requires the usage of one # 8217 ; s ain single creativeness and idea. I now work for a local in writing design concern and bask my work environment. My lone demands are that I show up on clip and that my concluding work looks good and does non give the concern a bad image. I hope I am non in the minority believing that individualism and creativeness are human accomplishments that should neer be overshadowed by big companies that merely want to do a net income. Furthermore, what will this society come to if every one Acts of the Apostless and thinks like machines? What would go on to liberate will or even democracy? The word # 8216 ; demos # 8217 ; means people and # 8216 ; cracy # 8217 ; means regulation. Hence, will we hold a future political system called # 8220 ; autarchy # 8221 ; , where we will be ruled by machine-controlled systems designed to expect our political and societal demands? Today we still have a opportunity to be originative persons if we oppose professions that take these privileges off from us, but will we have that opportunity 50 old ages from now or will automation be so incorporate in our society that it is excessively late? I hope non, because if this were to go on I would hold wasted a batch of tuition money. Journal # 2 The Electronic Sweatshop by Barbara Garson Chapters 3 to 8 Drumhead Chapters three through six chiefly portray how professions have become progressively machine-controlled and occupations such as societal workers, stockbrokers, and perchance even healers and psychologists are denounced to clerk places. Garson explains how computing machine or file monitoring systems and adept plans are turning white-collar places into entry-level occupations. Social workers for case spend less clip at personal interaction with a instance client and are involved in keeping a monthly quota of hours worked. Additionally, agents are utilizing computing machine plans that allow them less judgment when covering with a client # 8217 ; s portfolio. Garson besides mentions how adept package has the potency of even replacing certain undertakings of a occupation or full professions. Chapters six through eight trade with how supervisors use certain package in order to maintain path of their employees # 8217 ; productiveness. Ever since secretaries have used computing machines for their word processing demands, foremans are able to maintain path of how many key strokes have been done or position full paperss while they are being worked on. Furthermore, this has led to a less personal work relationship between a supervisor and his employees. Critical Analysis After reading these chapters what struck me most was the manner Barbara Garson portrayed how professional occupations are going more and more machine-controlled. It is flooring how occupations such as societal workers have evolved to go so routenized. I believe there is a parallel with instruction in colleges or universities and the occupation market. As a pupil I have found that many categories offered at UCD ( except for Sociology 159 and other Humanities categories ) do non let for critical thought. What I mean here is that most categories rely on stuff and thought procedures that are non of the pupil # 8217 ; s beginning. For case scientific discipline categories require analytical thought, yet these trains of idea are non original they are simply learned through applied exercising generated by other bookmans. Therefore, I feel there is a general deficiency in critical thought or seeking to look at things different from the norm. I believe being able to believe this manner is an of import privilege and responsibility of every citizen in a society. The work of Emanuel Kant shows the necessity of critical and independent idea. If we can non believe for ourselves person else will make it for us and might mistreat our rights as free citizens. I am pulling this comparing between work and school because I think there might be a ground why we are non taught critical thought at universities. Possibly we are already being trained to follow guidelines and ordinances prematurely before we enter the professional work force. This manner we will accommodate to the regulated work environment easier and go # 8220 ; productive # 8221 ; citizens. I am non seeking to state that I do non believe in regulations or Torahs, but regulations that merely profit net income maximization of corporations and other big companies can non perchance profit the involvement of the employees and even society as a whole. Hence I think the ground our society allows mechanization to go on is the same ground this same society allowed the large barons of the Industrial Age maltreatment and pretermit their work force. For one there will ever be despairing and unfortunate people looking for employment no affair how bad the work environment, and 2nd we are raised as loyal and faithful citizens that do non oppugn authorization. Barbara Garson # 8217 ; s illustration of the societal worker shows what deduction this deficiency in independent idea might hold on society. If the public assistance system of the United States is going progressively automated, what deductions might this hold on society? I think it is rather possible that we will pretermit big parts of our population due to deliberate mistakes caused by computing machine plans. Welfare should non be decided by mathematical computations or # 8220 ; 0 # 8221 ; s and # 8220 ; 1 # 8221 ; s. It should be managed by existent people with colloquial and people accomplishments. Every person has alone demands and features, and must hence be dealt with separately on a personal footing. I do non believe mechanization is the manner to cover with our state # 8217 ; s public assistance system. Furthermore, it upsets me when I read the male chauvinist and racialist comments made by one of Garson # 8217 ; s interviewees. This single clearly does non belong in the field of societal work. Yet, since societal work has become so clerical it does non surprise me that these sort of people work at that place. Hence it is imperative that we do non relieve any tendency that is modern as the effectual and best manner to manage things. We must foster inquiry these alterations and happen other ways to better societal issues. Journal # 3 The Electronic Sweatshop by Barbara Garson Chapters 9 to 10 A ; Conclusion The Overworked American by Juliet B. Schor Chapters 1 to 2 Drumhead In chapter nine Barbara Garson discusses how mechanization has led to a work force that chiefly consists of parttime and impermanent workers. Since businesss have become more simplified due to mechanization and interrupting down occupations into measure by measure procedures, it is non necessary for companies to trust on a skilled employees any longer. Thus workers have become disposable. This tendency can be seen from blue-collar workers at McDonald’s to professors and teachers at universities. The lone persons non effected by this are senior directors who are to fault for these engaging tactics. In chapter ten Garson examines the highest degree of businesss. Decision-making and direction is besides being automated. The writer shows this with illustrations from the Department of Defense that is utilizing computing machine plans to cipher war tactics. The military utilizations automated control centres far off from a crisis country in order to command battlegrounds around the universe. In her decision Barbara Garson argues that she finds it difficult for us to undo the procedure of mechanization since supervisors and large companies assume that their employees are # 8220 ; lazy, stupid, and hostile # 8221 ; . However, she believes that we must protest and defy # 8220 ; the electronic sweatshop # 8221 ; In chapter on Juliet Schor portrays how our state has doubled productiveness per capita since the 1940 # 8217 ; s and we are still go oning to work even more. She believes that we should be compensated for the addition in productiveness with more paid clip off work. Schor briefly describes several facets of this addition in work hours such as the fact that we are pretermiting our kids due to work, or that the addition in ingestion has put us in dept. Chapter two examines the effects of the addition of working hours. Schor argues that Americans are now working one month per twelvemonth more than they did fifty old ages ago. Furthermore, there are more females in the work force and employees are forced to set in over-time at occupations they might be fired from due to diminutions in market demand. Additionally, due to the addition in hours worked by employees, unemployed have troubles happening employment. Critical Analysis I found the information Barbara Garson gave us about automated defence systems scaring and chilling. It scares me to cognize that machines are ciphering war tactics. During the Vietnam War the consequences from the computing machine were used by existent people in doing tactical determinations, nevertheless what happens if in the close hereafter automated systems straight influence arms on the battleground. Already today arms have become highly high tech, and full wars seem to hold become on large picture game. During the Golf War we witnessed how advanced our armed forces are. Most of the combat seemed to hold been done by distant arms such as Tomahawk and Patriot missiles. Yet, what if these missals would non be controlled by people forcing buttons but by computing machines straight? I find this to be a chilling idea. For one computing machines are prone to interrupt down are create mistakes. Human lives should non be left in the custodies ( or left up to computing machine french f riess ) of logistic defence systems. It kind of makes me inquire what a missive to a female parent # 8217 ; s fallen boy might sound like: # 8220 ; sorry about your loss, but due to a impermanent computing machine breakdown your boy walked directly into a mine field. # 8221 ; ( These letters might even be processed by the computing machine itself ) . Furthermore, we have seen that supervisors see employees as a hinderance in their chase of net income. Peoples purportedly merely acquire in the manner of concern since they can believe. What might go on if this logistic computing machine calculates that friendly manned arms is a hinderance in winning a war? It might get down to assail its ain side. The effects I could woolgather up are scaring. Furthermore, does a computing machine understand the value of life? Does it cognize what consequences the decease of a soldier on either side of the war might hold? Department of energies it hold compassion? Can it separate between enemy forces and civilian population? Hence, when it comes to war I strongly offend computing machine control. There are merely to many facets that could take to catastrophe. Armed forces around the universe posses atomic arm in their armories that could literally pass over out world and all life on the planet several times. Hence, how could we rest a sure that a computing machine can manage such a duty. A computing machine might even cipher that a thermo-nuclear warm would non destruct it and therefore see atomic war as the lone option in a struggle. The scientists that were involved in making atomic bombs during WW II subsequently realized what they had done and regretted of all time making such arms. Even Albert Einstein himself one time said he should hold neer made his findings populace. He even added that world is non rational plenty to manage atomic energy. I feel this same thought applies to today # 8217 ; s research worker. I wonder if they of all time thought about what effects their engineerings might hold on society. But they are likely so preoccupied in technological promotion and net income devising they do non recognize them or merely disregard them. It upsets me to cognize that research is directed towards engineering that can do injury to society. If our society is so technologically capable why do we non invent devices that improve societal jobs? There is non a remedy for AIDS or malignant neoplastic disease, and most of the universe is still malnourished. We need to halt allowing political leaders and CEOs of corporations run our lives. We must voice our ideas and sentiments before it is excessively late. Possibly in the hereafter computing machines will command even our thoughts and feelings, and we will genuinely be nil more than a brace of legs and custodies. This might sound pathetic now, but sing how far warfare has come since the in-between ages it is non excessively far-fetched. However, who knows if world will still be in 500 old ages ; we might hold destroyed each other by so due to our greed and violent behaviour. Journal # 4 The Overworked American by Juliet B. Schor Chapters 3 to 5 Drumhead In chapter three Juliet Schor compares today # 8217 ; s working hours the Middle Ages or the clip before the Industrial revolution. She argues that back so there was less leisure clip and the work environment was less nerve-racking compared to today. Additionally, she agues that capitalists try to distribute a myth that the 40-hour workweek is the least employees have of all time worked in history. Chapter four trades with the work that needs to be completed at place on top of the increasing hours worked at occupations. Schor argues that females carry the highest load of housekeeping. Today females are working the same hours as their male opposite numbers and still hold to take attention of kids and cook repasts. The writer sees the possibility that kids do non acquire the attending at place they need. Chapter five trades with the high degree of ingestion predominant in society today. Since we make more than we did 50 old ages ago and our economic system # 8217 ; s productiveness has doubled we are inclined to pass more. This has led to widespread debt among the in-between category. Schor classifies the mean American as # 8220 ; gay economicus # 8221 ; . She calls this phenomenon a rhythm of work and pass. We make a batch of money yet spend it all on consumer merchandises therefore raising productiveness. Critical Analysis It seems as though we are so caught up in our feverish life styles that we merely do non hold clip to earnestly measure economic and political state of affairss. As a pupil with a life full of duties and deadlines, it seems as though I merely can non happen the clip to earnestly assist oppose our economic # 8220 ; state of affairs # 8221 ; . However, as an person in a democratic society it should be one of my chief precedences to critically measure our authorities # 8217 ; s docket. I believe corporations are mostly to fault for making this fast-paced society. Corporations have even made it easier for us to get by with this accelerated life style by supplying franchises that serve unhealthy # 8220 ; fast # 8221 ; nutrient. We are similar marionettes on a twine guided by the corporate universe. Even a individual female parent gaining minimal pay in an assembly line does non oppugn this societal system since she is more bemused working 12 hours a twenty-four hours in order to back up her household. Sometimes I wonder what happened with our ability to believe critically. I thought this was the function of universities. Our state was based on free idea and wisdom inspired by radical persons such as Kant, Rousseau, and Foucult. The celebrated quotation mark # 8220 ; I think, therefore I am # 8221 ; decidedly does non co-occur with today # 8217 ; s popular thoughts. Alternatively universities seem to be overrun by corporate influences. College pupils are a favourite mark for recognition card companies. Students do non look to recognize that this is merely another manner that corporations make you dependent on them. Corporations such as Microsoft and IBM put big amounts of money in colleges and universities in order to guarantee that their following coevals of employees can maximise their net incomes. At the same clip there are people in this state that are so hapless they are forced to go forth their places and live in the streets. All this economic unfairness is apparent, and one must inquire why we as citizens do non oppose it. The simple account is that we are both a spouse and a victim of the corporate universe. When I here that our unemployment rate is above normal since our existent GDP is above possible GDP, I know that the normal rate of unemployment is 6 per centum. Yet, the mean citizen is tricked in believing our economic system is all right. One must recognize that for every 100 people in the work force 6 people are unemployed when we are at economic equilibrium. This means that while economic experts tell the president everything is all right there are 6 out of 100 households fighting to feed their kids. If you transfer this figure to the overall population this means about 15 million people are without occupations ; that # 8217 ; s a batch of people out on the streets during so called economic stalls times. Furthermore, economic experts, politicians, CEO, and other elites invariably gloat that the U.S. has the richest economic system or the highest GDP in the universe. Yet, are we non burying that there is such a enormous spread between rich and hapless in this state, and therefore a big figure of our citizens are forced to populate under near Third World like conditions?