Work, New Technology, and Capitalism

The spread of computers and electronic means of communication has clearly transformed contemporary workplaces. Computers now sit on the desks of virtually all office-based workers, linking them to one another through local area networks (LAN's), electronic mail, and complex information systems. Employees whose jobs involve significant amounts of travel are increasingly armed with an electronic arsenal of laptops, handheld computers, pagers, and cellular phones. Programmable machinery, computer-aided design, computer-based inventory systems, and other innovations have reshaped industrial processes. And, arguably, the separation of work and residence that has characterized industrialized societies is being undermined by the emergence of electronically mediated home work.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.