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Smart Machines and Service Work
Automation in an Age of Stagnation
Series: Field Notes
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Check link for latest rating. ( 46 ratings, 5 reviews)
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Format: Hardback
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This book is essential reading for students and scholars of economics, sociology, and labour studies, as well as policymakers and readers interested in the social and economic impacts of technology and automation. It suits anyone seeking a critical perspective on the future of work and inequality in a digital age.
A trenchant expose of the effects of automation on worker's lives
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A trenchant exposé of the effects of automation on workers' lives
In recent decades, digital devices have reshaped daily life, while tech companies' stock prices have thrust them to the forefront of the business world. In this rapid, global development, the promise of a new machine age has been accompanied by worries about accelerated joblessness thanks to new forms of automation.
Jason E. Smith looks behind the techno-hype to lay out the realities of a period of economic slowdown and expanding debt: low growth rates and an increase of labour-intensive jobs at the bottom of the service sector. He shows how increasing inequality and poor working conditions have led to new forms of workers' struggles. Ours is less an age of automation, Smith contends, than one in which stagnation is intertwined with class conflict.
Series: Field Notes
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Smart Machines and Service Work
A trenchant exposé of the effects of automation on workers' lives In recent decades, digital devices have reshaped daily life, while tech companies' stock prices have thrust them to the forefront of the business world. In this rapid, global development, the promise of a new machine age has been accompanied by worries about accelerated joblessness thanks to new forms of...HardbackSold Out
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Praised as one of the most insightful books on the social consequences of technological change, Smart Machines and Service Work offers a reality check on the promises of automation. Critics commend Smith’s Marxist analysis of the service sector's precariat and the persistence of economic stagnation despite technological advances. Reviews note its thoughtful challenge to mainstream ideas of a society moving towards abundance through IT and AI, calling it a vital guide to understanding contemporary labour dynamics.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781789143188
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 16 November 2020
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 138.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 160
About the Author
Jason E. Smith lives in Los Angeles. He has written extensively on contemporary politics and political economy, in journals including the Brooklyn Rail, Critical Inquiry, Radical Philosophy, SAQ and elsewhere.
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