The Post-Industrialism Era Essay -- Globalization

The era of post-industrialism refers to a period of change where a society advances from a manufacturing base, to a society reliant on knowledge, services, and research. What emerges from the remains of the industrial society is a society based around services, contracts, precariousness, segmentation, and insecurity, etc. Divided are the prospects for this globalized, post-industrial society. People question who will benefit from this new era of globalization. Some view the post-industrial era as one that offers opportunities for the well-educated, creative, and young professional while others view it as an era involving less security, job deskilling and high levels of inequality (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008). If one of the main consequences of post-industrialism is a widening gap between the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"have not’s† then who are those who make up these two distinct groups? The re-organization of work in the 21st century marks a shift from manufacturing to services. By 2004, 74 percent of employed Canadians held service-sector jobs, 21 percent in the secondary sector, and 5 percent in the primary industries (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008; Bowlby 2000). We can divide these service jobs into two distinct groups, upper-tier jobs and lower-tier jobs. The upper-tier jobs are referred to as the â€Å"good† jobs while the lower-tier jobs can be considered the â€Å"bad† jobs. Dominating the lower-tier are women, youth, immigrants, and those with less than a high-school diploma. Jobs in this tier include retail, hospitality, customer service jobs such as call centres and help desks, janitorial work, etc. Many of these jobs are part-time, temporary or contractual, therefore preventing workers from obtaining the same benefits that many o... ...e potential for a highly fragmented and highly unequal job market or one that embraces the changes listed above and works towards better unity amongst workers, unions, and government. Works Cited Krahn, Lowe, Hughes (2008) Work, Industry, & Canadian Society. (5th ed.) Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Athabasca University (2010) Sociology 321 Reading File. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Critoph, U (2010) Sociology 321 Study Guide. (Revised edition). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Krahn, H (1991) Non-Standard Work Arrangements. (Vol.3,No. 4) Statistics Canada, Catalogue 75-001E) Lowe, G. (1998) The future of Work: Implications for Unions. (Vol. 53, No.2) Montreal, Quebec. Retrieved May 2012 from http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/005291ar Betcherman, G.; Lowe, G.(1997) The future of work in Canada: A Synthesis Report. Ottawa ON: CPRN Inc. The Post-Industrialism Era Essay -- Globalization The era of post-industrialism refers to a period of change where a society advances from a manufacturing base, to a society reliant on knowledge, services, and research. What emerges from the remains of the industrial society is a society based around services, contracts, precariousness, segmentation, and insecurity, etc. Divided are the prospects for this globalized, post-industrial society. People question who will benefit from this new era of globalization. Some view the post-industrial era as one that offers opportunities for the well-educated, creative, and young professional while others view it as an era involving less security, job deskilling and high levels of inequality (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008). If one of the main consequences of post-industrialism is a widening gap between the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"have not’s† then who are those who make up these two distinct groups? The re-organization of work in the 21st century marks a shift from manufacturing to services. By 2004, 74 percent of employed Canadians held service-sector jobs, 21 percent in the secondary sector, and 5 percent in the primary industries (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008; Bowlby 2000). We can divide these service jobs into two distinct groups, upper-tier jobs and lower-tier jobs. The upper-tier jobs are referred to as the â€Å"good† jobs while the lower-tier jobs can be considered the â€Å"bad† jobs. Dominating the lower-tier are women, youth, immigrants, and those with less than a high-school diploma. Jobs in this tier include retail, hospitality, customer service jobs such as call centres and help desks, janitorial work, etc. Many of these jobs are part-time, temporary or contractual, therefore preventing workers from obtaining the same benefits that many o... ...e potential for a highly fragmented and highly unequal job market or one that embraces the changes listed above and works towards better unity amongst workers, unions, and government. Works Cited Krahn, Lowe, Hughes (2008) Work, Industry, & Canadian Society. (5th ed.) Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Athabasca University (2010) Sociology 321 Reading File. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Critoph, U (2010) Sociology 321 Study Guide. (Revised edition). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Krahn, H (1991) Non-Standard Work Arrangements. (Vol.3,No. 4) Statistics Canada, Catalogue 75-001E) Lowe, G. (1998) The future of Work: Implications for Unions. (Vol. 53, No.2) Montreal, Quebec. Retrieved May 2012 from http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/005291ar Betcherman, G.; Lowe, G.(1997) The future of work in Canada: A Synthesis Report. Ottawa ON: CPRN Inc.