Deskilling is a phenomenon that has come about due to agents of globalization such as technology, multinational corporations and increased bureaucratization, which are aimed increasing efficiency and effectiveness in both private and civil service. In other words, it is a process where workers in various organizations in both government and private sectors are eliminated due to the introduction of technology.
Due to technology, semiskilled workers are preferred since they can easily be controlled and can as well be paid peanuts. The organizations aim at utilizing resources maximally by reducing the human capital. Because of this aspect, workers have been reduced to paupers meaning that they cannot afford capital that can make their life better.
The owners of the means of production prefer working with the semiskilled since they cannot claim their rights as opposed to the skilled laborers who are always aware of their rights. However, due to deskilling, work has turned out to be mechanical since human skills are never applied in manufacturing goods and services.
In this case, the quality of goods and services are decreased. The consumers of goods and services are forced to take in substandard goods (Mossberger 14). The emergency of free market economy and ownership of property has even brought about serious problems as regards to employee importance.
This article traces the origins of deskilling, its effects to employees and how the issue can be addressed to bring back the skills of workers, which are required to achieve innovativeness and inventions. In government for example, the public is given a raw deal in terms of service delivery since those delivering services are not professionals. In other words, they are not imbued to service delivery. The capitalist society treats such workers in the same way as machines.
The modern society, an individual is deskilled in many ways. The process can be in terms of technology, work and leisure, and ideologically. The ruling class defines how leisure is utilized in society. In terms of technology, the ruling class owns it. The ruling ideology in society, especially in government, emanates from the ruling class.
In this paper, work and leisure will be analyzed as one of way of commanding conformity from the worker. Scholars criticize the way work alienates the worker from self and from other people in society. In this case, the works of Marx are frequently invoked to explain the plight of workers in society. In 1844, Marx posted his views regarding work and alienation in the capitalistic society. Workers in industries are forced to work for long hours without extra pay.
Furthermore, employees in many industries and organizations lack time for leisure and self-fulfillment. As Marx had earlier observed, workers lack time for themselves implying that they are only left with little time for conducting animal related activities such as eating, sleeping and procreating. From this understanding, capitalism creates a passive consumer and also shapes the leisure activities of workers.
In the modern society, leisure is not meant to help the worker but it serves to provide a means of escape from the problems. In other words, workers are made to live with the problem but not finding the problem. The modern worker is alienated from his or her own work and leisure since he or she is not in control of the two variables (Life & Debt).
Some scholars mention that in the contemporary world, capitalism has crashed the steam for personal development since work is exhausting, stupefying and inhuman. Leisure or any free time serves to sooth and prolong the stupidity. Workers are led by false needs, which are largely imposed by the mass media and controlled by the bourgeoisie. In other words, workers do not know their needs. Those who are satisfied by these false needs are only in the euphoria of happiness based on misery.
Deskilling came about with the introduction of private ownership of property. The emergence of free ownership of capital subordinated some members of society.
Deskilling is therefore the overall exploitation and injustices that are found in capitalistic societies. In other words, deskilling is inevitable in the capitalistic society due to domination and subordination of some members of society. Deskilling is majorly attributed to the developments in the industrial sector.
For instance, the modern industrial sector does not demand skilled labor since machines are available to perform various activities that were previously reserved for skilled workers. The development of skills in the industrial sector is also to blame for the deteriorating role of workers.
For instance, the ideas of Ford changed the way employees relate with the bosses in the company. Through the experience, it was identified that skilled labor was irrelevant. The most important thing in production was identified to be cooperation and efficient management. Taylor’s scientific theory proved that skilled labor was irrelevant in the industry (Johns).
A number of problems face skilled workers as they try to reclaim their lost glory. The main problem is modernity, which is dynamic. Modernity is a concept that represents conflicts and convergences of technology. The principle of juggernaut is perhaps the most pressing issue as far as skilled workers are concerned. Modernity manifests in four main ways.
The first one is capitalism, which is identified by commodity production, private ownership of capital, non-ownership of property, wage labor, and a rigid class system. Another impediment is industrialization, which is synonymous with the use of inanimate sources of power and machinery to produce goods and services.
The third problem related to modernity is the surveillance capacity. This refers to the supervision of the activities of the population, including the skilled laborers.
The activities of human beings are under close supervision in the modern society. In other words, the dominant class is so keen about security. Finally, it is difficult for skilled workers to regain their power since the bourgeoisie is in control of the means of violence, including the industrialization of war. In the modern society, war is a big industry (Manufacturing Landscapes).
In the postmodern society, human beings can only save their lives by cooperating and communicating frequently. The media dominate the postmodern society, which is the most important in society. It is highly pluralistic and diverse. For instance, the television adverts, film, video, websites and other similar images can be accessed globally.
Ideas can easily be transmitted from one society to the other. Therefore, it is upon the skilled worker to utilize the media to reclaim his or her lost glory. For instance, skilled workers in the Middle East used the media to break the power of the ruling class in society. This shows that any other worker can use the same medium to gain his or her wish or desire. However, this would call for cooperation and awareness creation.
Works Cited
Johns R. Re: North American Free Trade Agreement. 26 April. 2012. Web. www.nafta-sec-alena.org/en/view.aspx?conID=590
Life & Debt. Ex. Prod. Stephanie Black. New York, NY: A Tuff Gong Pictures Production. 2011. DVD.
Manufacturing Landscapes. Ex. Prod. Edward Burtynsky. Toronto: Toronto International Film Festival. 2006. DVD.
Mossberger, Tolbert. Virtual inequality: beyond the digital divide, Washington: Georgetown University Press, 2003. Print.