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Political Economy of mobile technologies in everyday work and life

This research explores the impact of mobile technologies on the political economy of everyday work and life. It discusses the history, labor processes, and work relations affected by the standardization of computer work and services. It also examines the labor processes in academic settings and the practice of everyday life without formal employment. Additionally, it delves into the production of mobile technologies and the embedded labor relations and controls within software and hardware. The research concludes by discussing the implications of these technologies on skill, competence, and knowledge workers.

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Political Economy of mobile technologies in everyday work and life

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  1. Political Economy of mobile technologies in everyday work and life • Joan Greenbaum • Professor Emerita • City University of New York

  2. Now • Professor Emerita::Graduate Center • Environmental Psychology • New Media Lab • Interactive Technology and Pedagogy • Co-Chair PSC-CUNY (AFT local 2334) • Environmental & Occupational Health and Safety

  3. Some history::personal and political • In the Name of Efficiency (79) • Braverman plus standardization of computer workers • Simplification • Standardization • Substitution • Separation • Severance • & resistance

  4. Participatory Design 1991 An admission & confession Design ≠ Production Worker-oriented computer system development

  5. Labor process 1994 & 2004 • Standardization of ‘knowledge work’ • & • Labor embedded in • Software • in IT & the • internet

  6. Some take away messages • Taylor’s separation of head and hands + • Braverman’s analysis of labor process + • Standardization of services as commodities + • Standardization of software, firmware • + Deregulation + Culture of capitalism = Work ≠ place Pay ≠ time Work relations ≠ employment relations

  7. Signs of the times

  8. Tale of two labor processes • University labor • split employment relations • ‘Digital Squatters’ • semi-severed employment relations

  9. Academic labor • Tech enablers • +Email • + Courseware (Course Management Systems) • +websites • +Textbook commodities • + e learning • +standard course units • +… Shadow workload > class size >student supervision >Committees >Publishing >Grant writing >expectations > …

  10. Academic labor market < tenure (stability) >Part time < stability < lower wages < fewer positions >bifurcated positions >assault on unions

  11. Embodied labor • Longer hours • Getting it done • deadlines • Throat problems • Headaches • Neck and back problems • Lack of sleep • …

  12. Right?

  13. Severed labor::’digital squatters’ • The practice of everyday life without • formal employment… • A place to be • A place to meet • A place to share Meaning making

  14. Out of the workplace • “I’m working on”… • Grant writing • Composing • School applications • Job applications • Getting a job • Researching jobs • Writing a book • Taking a meeting • …

  15. Internalized controls and responses • CONTROL • Embedded bureaucratic management in mind and body • Time • deadlines • Pressure • Expectations • routine • REPONSES • Appropriating place(s) • ‘stealing’ work time • Clothing choices • No commuting • Attempts to balance dry cleaning and childcare • Social networks

  16. Political economy of mobile technologies • The Triad Mobile phone Laptop/ipad Ear buds/ipod Software/hardware/firmware with embedded labor relations & controls

  17. Production of mobile technologies • Monopolistic corporate control • Subcontracting/outsourcing production • Unsafe, very low wage labor conditions • Unsafe, very low wage mining conditions • Lead, cadmium, beryllium, PCBs, PVCs • Unsafe, e-waste disposal

  18. Production of software & firmware • Monopolistic control of production/price • Outsourced labor processes • Separation of code from content • Separation of design from content • Buyout of small ‘shops’ into large firms (‘99 & now) • Some bifurcation of labor processes (until larger controls get put in place)

  19. “American Progress” ( oil) John Gast 1972

  20. What? • What’s SKILL got to do with it? • COMPETENCE is just another word for nothing left to loose • Where have all the KNOWLEDGE WORKERS gone?.....

  21. Some selected (non labor process) references • De Certau, M. The practice of everyday life, 1984 • Havey, D. The enigma of capital, 2011 • Latour, B. Reassembling the Social, 2005 • McCarthy J. & Wright, P. Technology as Experience, 2004 • Low, S. & Altman, Place Attachments, 1992 • Suchman, L. Human-Machine reconfigurations, 2007 • Tuan, Y.F., Space and place, 1977 • Urry, J.Mobilities, 2007 • Yates, M. Naming the system, 2003

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