Edley and Houston explain the ways that ICT (information communication technology) has blurred the distinctions between gender, family, communications, and the workplace. Are we even more busy than ever with workflow now being taken to the household? Are gender roles still defined the same way now that technology is even more present in our lives? Gender and technology seem to favor male prominence as technological providers and women as consumers of the product, yet research had indicated that women are good with ICT business skills because of their social skills and technical ability. Women view technology as tools and men consider them toys. So recent trends of considering gender along with technology are changing. Edley and Houston explore the managing of work with family in regards to ICT. Are we busier by bringing work home, or connectivity with the office? Where are the lines being drawn by employers as to assigning work to do at your home? Can this be considered exploitation? Both isolation and connectivity are associated with ICT use. Time zones and boundaries are being eroded, work days are being stretched to the limit of the clock, more and more time is being dedicated to more work hours diluting payscales.
Current Events: Years ago economists predicted that Americans would work 4 days per week and have a lighter workload as the economy would progress to soaring heights. However this prediction has gone by the wayside as rising inflation and the American addition to buying and adding to their own debt. It does not help with products shrinking and expensive being more expensive. One item most can not live without is technology (or as I refer to it as “cellphonography”), which has placed a monetary burden on people even more so. Wages are being stretched to the limit as families struggle to survive.
My thoughts: I teach in a school with over 60% reduced lunch. This is a staggering figure to me as it is an indicator that families are managing to scrape by everyday with money. However one thing is for certain, cell phone ownership has not slipped within these families facing financial constraints. Could this be because of families wanting security or instant access incase of emergency or a heightening addiction to instant communication?
It's amazing to me how much of our family's monthly budget goes to internet and communications technologies (and television-related stuff.) Shows that it is definitely a priority in our society/social class.
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