Women, Men, and Machines

Abstract

Though knowledge about sex segregation in the world of work is widespread, social scientists have not developed a systematic view of how machine technology abets sex stratification. Data from the first national study of technological change shows that proportionately more women than men operate machines, are more exposed to machines that have alienating effects, and suffer more from the negative effects of technological change. Despite this, sex differences are small with respect to attitudes toward technology, technological change, and job satisfaction, suggesting that the alleged link between worker-machine relations and alienation needs reexamination.

Women's and Men's Expectations About the Effects of New Technology at Work

“…For example, about 52% of the men, but only 36% of the women, expected new technology to make their jobs safer; 54% of the men versus 44% of the women expected more chances to learn new things. These findings are consistent with prior research, especially the results reported by Form and McMillen (1983).…”

“…Labor force reductions may be responsible for a portion of the increased effectiveness. Although managers may look forward to the smaller payroll and simplified management of a &dquo;streamlined&dquo; organization (Giuliano, 1982;Lund & Hansen, 1983;Monger, 1987), employees tend to be apprehensive about the possibility of job loss (Asher, 1983;Argote et al, 1983;Form & McMillen, 1983;Gutek et al, 1983). Moreover, there is evidence that the employment impact of some forms of new technology, such as robotics, may be more modest and gradual than was first anticipated (e.g., Hunt & Hunt, 1983).…”

“…Using a nationally representative sample of the U.S. work force, collected through a 1967 interview survey, Form and McMillen (1983) found striking differences between men and women in the effects of new technology on their job characteristics. Among blue-collar workers who experienced technological change, men reported greater increases than women in the interestingness of their work, in the skill and planning required by their jobs, and in the security, learning, and advancement opportunities provided by their jobs.…”

Sociological Research and the American Working Class

“…This almost purposeful misreading of the data must be tracked to ideological bias (Hamilton and Wright, 1982). Hatred of machines and bureaucracy leads many sociologists to attribute their feelings to the working class (Roberts, 1978), despite evidence that most workers like their machines and are not disturbed by working in bureaucracies (Mueller et al, 1969;Form, 1976a;Form and McMillen, 1983;Hull, Friedman, and Rogers, 1982). Professors probably underestimate the complexity of low skill jobs and workers' ingenuity in making them satisfying and/or bearable (Kusterer, 1978).…”

Kusterer or Manwaring and Wood on the High-Tech Labor Process? Analyzing the Nature of Skill, Deskilling and Managerial Control of Labor in a U.S. Medical Electronics Factory

“…Basically, regardless of the production department, workers had to learn how to perform their jobs at a fast enough pace in order to meet the daily quota and precise enough in order to pass the quality control process. In addition, according to empirical research, the most important production skills found in high-tech industries are precision and speed (Applebaum, 1983;Form and McMillen, 1983;Schervish, 1983).…”