Research on work and occupations in the information field have largely focused on white‐collar jobs. Little is known about the information and technology experiences and behaviors of workers in blue‐collar jobs. This study examines the user experiences of current welding tools and welding training and asks how integration of information feedback through smart technology in welding tools can help welders do their jobs safer, easier, and faster. We conducted 14 in‐depth interviews with members of Longhorn Racing, a student organization that designs, builds, and tests race cars. Participants experienced frustrations with the dangerous and technical setup and the limited vision and information feedback from welding tools. Many argued that the integration of smart technology into welding tools could improve their experience. These innovations could lead to faster training and reduced attrition in the welding industry. Further, this research points to the urgent need for more research on blue‐collar workers in the information field.
The author examines how immigrant networks and labor segmentation by race and gender facilitate inequality in immigrant-owned restaurants. The author conducted three months of participant observation at an immigrant-owned restaurant and supplemental interviews with 18 workers and owners at similar restaurants in Austin, Texas. Labor segmentation by gender and race resulted in varied degrees of wage inequality, surveillance, and exposure to hazardous working conditions. Also, although ethnic networks among workers offer benefits, embedded in these networks are unwritten rules of obligation, gift giving, and repayment. Shared ethnicity or identity as immigrants did not prevent immigrant owners from exploiting workers of the same ethnicity and other immigrant workers. Ultimately, the author argues that ethnic networks are embedded in the larger economy and context of racial-ethnic hierarchies. This research sheds light on everyday interactions among Asian immigrant restaurant owners and workers. The author highlights how an uncritical focus on the benefits of ethnic networks obscures constraints in social networks.
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