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The mechanization of work has evolved from ancient technologies like water wheels to modern automation, significantly increasing productivity while displacing human labor. This ongoing trend raises debates about its benefits and drawbacks, as mechanization can lead to unemployment but also create new job sectors and enhance workplace safety. The future of work will likely involve a collaboration between humans and machines, influenced by societal and governmental decisions.

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21 views2 pages

Mailig Position Paper

The mechanization of work has evolved from ancient technologies like water wheels to modern automation, significantly increasing productivity while displacing human labor. This ongoing trend raises debates about its benefits and drawbacks, as mechanization can lead to unemployment but also create new job sectors and enhance workplace safety. The future of work will likely involve a collaboration between humans and machines, influenced by societal and governmental decisions.

Uploaded by

elellaaama
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mechanization of Work

The mechanization of work can be dated back to the Romans introducing water wheels in
the 4000 BCE to grind their grain and irrigate crops. While this increased their productivity, it
displaced humans and the manpower they once needed to accomplish this task. Or when the
Chinese invented water-powered bellows in the 5th century BC to enhance and make their blast
furnaces more efficient, workers who were in charge of manually operating those bellows were
then unemployed (Tronrud, 2017).

This phenomenon found to be a recurrent occurrence even up until the recent times,
technology has been improving continually and what tasks once needed multiple people and
great manpower may need up to no person now due to the mechanization of work. Throughout
history, machines have mainly taken over jobs that involve physical strength or repetitive tasks,
leaving more complex work to humans. However, as machines become increasingly intelligent at
a rapid pace, this distinction is beginning to look less evident.

The question that arises from this situation is a continuous debate on a global scale: is it
beneficial or detrimental? As with many dilemmas, the answer lies in shades of gray rather than
stark black or white distinctions. While some may argue that the mechanization of work may
cause economic stagnation and unemployment (Novek, 1984), it cannot be ignored that the
increased efficiency and productivity brought about by mechanization also hold the potential to
revolutionize industries, create new job sectors, and create a safer environment by stepping into
the responsibility of handling dangerous aspects of jobs.

Automation is a new advance that has been in technology and the digital economy, which
essentially thrusts mechanization deeper into the world of human labor. The idea of automation is
different from past responses to machines. It's based on the concept of "complements," meaning
that while automation might replace some jobs with machines (like self-driving cars), it also
enhances humans' ability to work alongside machines. This means new production methods will
use both human and machine labor together. This theory focuses on how machinery boosts
human skills, rather than just compensating for lost jobs (Skidelsky, 2020). Rather than thinking
technology is taking over, it is better to see in a perspective that the impact of new technologies
on the future world of work is non-deterministic, it can be influenced and shaped by societies
and governments (Nübler, 2020).
References

Ginzberg, E. (1982). The Mechanization of Work. Scientific American, 247(3), 66–75.


doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0982-66
Novek, J. (1984). The Mechanization of Work: Paradise or Purgatory? Challenge, 27(4), 43-48,
DOI: 10.1080/05775132.1984.11470948
Tronrud, T. (2017). Looking Back. The Chronicle Journal, retrieved from
https://www.chroniclejournal.com/opinion/the-mechanization-of-work/article_13e999b8-e348-
11e7-ab1f-fbe94536fbda.html
Skidelsky, R., & Craig, N. (2020). Work in the Future: The Automation Revolution, Palgrave
Macmillan. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-21134-9
Skidelsky, R (2020). The Future of Work. Work in the Future: The Automation Revolution, 2, 9-
21. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-21134-9
Nübler, I. (2020). Shaping the Work of the Future: Policy Implications. Work in the Future: The
Automation Revolution, 18, 189-201. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-21134-9

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