The Electronic Sweatshop by Barbara Garson Introduction & Chapters 1 to 2 In her introduction, Barbara Garson gives the reader an idea of her personal work experience as a clerk with automation. One can see that Garson is a strong critique of automation. In order to convey how automation is affecting our society the author begins by analyzing and studying various jobs from the bottom on up (i.e. starting with the most unskilled labor). Chapter one examines the various occupations at McDonalds’s. Barbara Garson finds that most workers here tend to dislike their jobs. Due to the tremendous amount of stress created by automated systems such as timers and computer generated productivity statistics McDonald’s has a high turn over rate in employment. The second chapter of the book deals with reservation agents employed at airlines. Barbara Garson explains how this profession has also undergone automation. By interviewing individuals at American Airlines and Air Canada she finds that conversations with customers are no longer controlled by the reservation agent, but by a set of scripts or even a supervisor secretively listening in on the conversation. Critical AnalysisBoth of these two chapters analyze the effects of automation on two different types of professions. I found it interesting that individuals working as reservation agents find it easier to cope with automation than McDonald’s employees. I guess this is due to the fact that reservation agents are allowed to practice a little more individual thinking than someone waiting for a buzzer telling him or her when to flip a meat patty. However, I have worked as a tele-marketer here at the university soliciting funds from alumni and previous students. What attracted me to the job was the relatively high pay (plus commission). Yet, on my first couple days at the job I already was bombarded with several scripts and rules I needed to follow. At first I tried to use my o...
