KEEP THIS TO 1-3 – PAGES LONG (EXCLUDING REFERENCE PAGE)
Author: Sara Baase
Date of Publication: 2008
Book: A Gift of Fire
Sections read: Chapter 6: Work
1. (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:
a. Telecommuting is the practice of working at a distance from an office or factory via computers, and has been increasingly common.
b. Old jobs are simply replaced with new jobs requiring the use of technology, and a flexible and educated economy will gain many jobs from this.
c. Offshoring refers to the displacement of work to companies/workers in other countries for a lower wage, and many believe this threatens job security for US workers.
2. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?
With the computer age, work has been vastly redefined, and gained its own advantages and disadvantages. Many are worried that there is vast unemployment due to the increased efficiency of computers (Baase, 308). There is a clear impact on employment, as between the periods of 1983-1993 37% of bank teller jobs were lost to new technologies. As said by an Exchange official, “What was once done by our people is now done by technology” (Baase, 309). This stems from the idea that with more efficiency, less people need to work on the task. However, one can argue that productivity has increased dramatically (long distance calls increased from 9.8 billion to 94.9). With the loss of old jobs comes new ones aimed at using newer technology (Baase, 310). A net increase of 17.8 million jobs has occurred, demonstrating a flexible economy. In order to maintain this growth we must stay flexible and educated (Baase, 312). While after 1970 wages declined by 10%, fringe benefits also increased by 17% (Baase, 313). The standard of living has also increased, as it has become quicker to have the money for necessities such as food, and has also improved the quality of housing (Baase, 314). Safer environments were made, as cars are safer and materials such as radioactive dye were replaced with ultrasound. Working hours have declined since the earlier periods before this technology. However for many of these new jobs a college degree is required, therefore the benefits are not distributed as evenly to those who aren’t educated or cannot afford the education (Baase, 315). Some worry about the devalue of human intelligence as computers will now do most of the smart work (Baase, 318). Offshoring, the practice of hiring companies/workers from other countries for a lower wage, has become common practice. As of 2004, 12% of all information and technology companies offshored, more commonly to India. However it has its merits; this offshoring is what helped Ireland gain the financial boom that it so needed (Baase, 319). Knowledge work, or offshoring of more skilled work, has also become a large issue (Baase, 320), and while only 50 or so jobs are lost a month to offshoring now, experts believe it will only become a more common practice (Baase, 321). Other problems arise, such as irregular hours to workers in India, the inflation of the amount US companies need to pay Indian workers, and general disdain for call centers by the US population (Baase, 322). Needless to say, there are sides for both arguments regarding whether it is justified or just plain immoral. Searching for jobs online has become much easier with the rise of sites such as Monster.com, and training is very easy to come by (Baase, 325). Telecommuting, the practice of working for a company from home, has been on the rise, as these workers don’t even have to live in the same city as their employers. Obvious benefits are increased productivity, savings due to smaller company offices, and more employee satisfaction overall (Baase, 328). There are dissenters, and these people believe that productivity is actually decreased due to lack of supervision, that people are working too long or hard, and that it is generally more stressful. Some believe this also cause a sense of isolation for the individuals who partake in it. Using a computer for both personal and work-related objectives can be dangerous if a hacker were to gain access to this information (Baase, 329). Kotkin believes that this encourages the individual to engage more in their local community, however others still believe alienation is a more plausible outcome (Baase, 330). On the other hand, this makes small independent businesspeople able to create an at-home business that can make it big (Baase, 331). Some examples of this are eBay, Google and MySpace. Others believe that large companies are also profiting via actions such as merging with other companies and buyouts with small companies that may threaten their security (Baase, 332). Nonetheless, it is easy to see how drastically new information technology has affected the notion of work.
3. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – BE SPECIFIC AND EXPLAIN?
One situation I have experienced is the outsourcing of jobs by General Motors automotive company. For many years, GM has been offshoring to China, Mexico, South Korea, Japan as well as many others. GM has been drastically cutting its labor, my father being one of the many people who were laid off and forced to find other jobs. One article I found online was particularly useful in both explaining what it’s currently doing, as well as public dissent towards it: http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/gm-offshore-outsourcing-us-jobs
4. (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences.
On page 310, Baase says that new technologies don’t destroy jobs, but rather create new, more advanced jobs to look forward to. I feel that this has been the case throughout history and people may just not realize it; Gutenberg’s printing press was probably critiqued in the sense that it would replace people who wrote articles that were not as efficient, but it is without a doubt labor has only increased since. The same goes to the weaving machines Baase mentions on page 309 – they were burned as people thought it would destroy their jobs, however since there has been no horrible numbers showing a decrease in the amount of jobs.
5. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)? What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?
I agree with the idea that new jobs can thrive with new technology as long as the people stay educated and the economy stays flexible. On page 310 it is explained how the two goals of reduction of resources and increase of standard living have been met, which is proof enough that technology is not the demon we see it as compared to the job industry. One great example is the retail industry; in the technology age, it grew 3% in only 3 years, while jobs as a whole increased by 6% (Baase, 311). I believe as long as we stay flexible we should not be wary of new technology, but to embrace it.
6. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations (see Chap1-1.4 for exp of Ethics) or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?
This topic is relevant in today’s society, as more and more we are seeing jobs more involved online, and automated tellers and checkouts are becoming exponentially common. My stepfather telecommutes from his home office, and I can see the positive outcomes this chapter describes, such as more involvement in his community (he has a lot of time to go out and do what he needs to get done), and he seems much happier with his job than his old one of ten years back, where he worked in a small cubicle. Utilitarianism, while somewhat of a gray-area concerning offshoring, is an interesting way to look at it; does it support the number of dollars given (in which case the US would be the main concern), or does it concern the amount of dollars saved (shifting the interest to India)? After reading this chapter I am interested to see where the job economy goes, and whether the US as a whole will be able to keep up with its demands with higher technology that is created.
References
Baase, Sara. "Chapter 6: Work." A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.
Oak, Robert. "GM Offshore Outsourcing U.S. Jobs." The Economic Populist. 9 May 2009. Web. 06 Nov. 2011.
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