Miscellanous

The relationship between technology and employment is at the same time complex and unstable. To illustrate, the term “Luddite” was coined in the early 19th Century to describe mindless machine-breaking (Jones 1996, p.21). The Luddites were skilled cloth-weavers who believed that technology would destroy their livelihood and opportunities for work (Jones 1996, p.22). They were opposed not to the knitting and lace-making machines as such, but more to the “de-skilling” involved as

In confronting Rifkin’s guess of a “society absent of mass formal employment”, this is possible for while technology is rapidly changing and restructuring workplaces on a global scale, there are stresses which are causing instability in the workforce (Smark 1997, p.47). Fewer people are required in many areas, greatly reducing the availability of work (Gill 1996, p.165). Consequently, when workers are displaced by new technology, there are substantial costs in retraining and educating them for other jobs (Gill 1996, p.167). The opportunities for people being re-employed without the appropriate skills are minimal and subsequently, they fall on society for welfare, unemployment and retraining (Smark 1997, p.47). Are these the desired outcomes that flow from technological transitions with which society is confronted?

technology is taking more jobs than it is creating, thus leading the world to

creating limited jobs for a small, elite core of scientists, computer programmers,

Technology thus far, has been used to promote greater economic equity, more freedom of choice, changes in the pattern of work and more notably, has been a contributing factor to the globalization of work (McKern 1997, p.60). The pace and extent of globalization, and the increasing internationalizations of culture and communications, is influenced strongly by technology, particularly transport and communications (Adler 1990, p.4). The globalization of the employment market represents increased opportunities for businesses and governments in that the promotion of political harmony will improve global integration of markets and a growing interdependence between the policies of governments (Adler 1990, p.5). Some of the benefits

Some topics in this essay:
Industrial Revolution, Luddites Neo-Luddites, jones 1996, gill 1996, impact technology, technology employment, smark 1997, 1997 p47, smark 1997 p47, stewart 1996 p13, stewart 1996, 1996 p13, adler 1990, relationship technology employment, 19th century, jones 1996 p21, mckern 1997 p60,