Suchergebnisse

This review examines studies of the affordances of digital technologies that produce virtuality. What we can call a "technological turn" in the literature considers technology a first-order analytical object rather than blackboxing it or subsuming it under social process. J.J. Gibson's original concept of affordance is explained, as well as its evolution to a concept consonant with anthropology's concerns. The review probes studies of political activism, work, and play. It comments on how virtuality affects anthropology as a discipline.

Anthropological theories of population growth in underdeveloped countries are considered and it is argued that most studies have concentrated exclusively on either deterministic or self‐regulatory factors in population growth without regard to their probable interaction. A research strategy is proposed in which self‐regulatory factors, especially the decision‐making activities of individual parents, provide a primary focus of study but with careful attention to deterministic factors which constrain and influence the decision process. [population, underdevelopment, biology and self‐regulation in population theory]

RésuméL'inquiétude que suscitent partout dans le monde l'automatisation et son influence sur l'«avenir du travail» découle de certaines idées répandues sur la technologie, l'activité humaine et la valeur économique. Le débat n'est pas nouveau et intéressait déjà des penseurs éminents comme Marx et Keynes. Pour mieux appréhender la situation actuelle, les auteurs réexaminent la question à la lumière de l'histoire du capitalisme. En mettant l'accent sur la place du travail et sur la technologie, ils décrivent des formes cachées de création de valeur dans l'économie contemporaine et abordent certains aspects encore inédits dans le débat historique, avant de présenter plusieurs scénarios possibles pour l'avenir.

ResumenEl miedo a la automatización y al «futuro del trabajo», a la superfluidad de los trabajadores y del ser humano en general, se basa en ideas recurrentes sobre la tecnología, el trabajo y el valor económico. El debate se remonta a destacados pensadores como Karl Marx y John Maynard Keynes. Para entender el momento actual, los autores revisan este debate en relación con la historia del capitalismo. Desde una perspectiva centrada en el trabajo y la tecnología, examinan las formas ocultas de creación de valor en la economía actual y las lagunas del debate histórico, y esbozan varias situaciones hipotéticas de cara al futuro.

AbstractThe current anxiety around the globe regarding automation and "the future of work", the irrelevance of human labour and the superfluity of humans is based on recurring ideas about technology, work and economic value. Not quite novel, the debate on these ideas dates back to prominent thinkers, such as Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. To grasp the present moment, therefore, the authors revisit this debate within the broader history of capitalism. With a focus on labour and technology, they bring attention to the hidden forms of value creation in the current economy and to the blind spots of the historical debate, and envision various possible scenarios for the future.

La numérisation de l'économie – comme de la vie quotidienne – a transformé la division du travail entre humains et machines, versant beaucoup de gens dans du travail qui est à la fois caché, mal payé ou accepté comme incombant à « l'usager » de la technologie digitale. À travers clics, balayages, connexions, profils, emails et courriers, nous sommes les participants plus ou moins volontaires à des pratiques digitales dont la valeur profite à d'autres, mais peu ou pas à nous. Hamid Ekbia et Bonnie Nardi nomment hétéromation ce type de participation : l'extraction de valeur économique au moyen de travail pas cher ou gratuit caché sous des apparences d'automation algorithmique. Ils explorent ici les processus sociaux et technologiques par lesquels la valeur est extraite du travail numérisé.

PurposeAn ensemble is an intermediate unit of work between action and activity in the hierarchical framework proposed by classical activity theory. Ensembles are the mid‐level of activity, offering more flexibility than objects, but more purposeful structure than actions. The paper aims to introduce the notion of ensembles to understand the way object‐related activities are instantiated in practice.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an analysis of the practices of professional information workers in two different companies using direct and systematic observation of human behavior. It also provides an analysis and discussion of the activity theory literature and how it has been applied in areas such as human‐computer interaction and computer‐supported collaborative work.FindingsThe authors illustrate the relevance of the notion of ensembles for activity theory and suggest some benefits of this conceptualization for analyzing human work in areas such as human‐computer interaction and computer‐supported collaborative work.Research limitations/implicationsThe notion of ensembles can be useful for the development of a computing infrastructure oriented to more effectively supporting work activities.Originality/valueThe paper shows that the value of the notion of ensembles is to close a conceptual gulf not adequately addressed in activity theory, and to understand the practical aspects of the instantiation of objects over time.