2019/02 | LEM Working Paper Series | ||||||||||||||||
Whither the evolution of the contemporary social fabric? New technologies and old socio-economic trends |
|||||||||||||||||
Giovanni Dosi and Maria Enrica Virgillito |
|||||||||||||||||
Keywords | |||||||||||||||||
Social fabric, technology, macroeconomic development, division
of labour, knowledge, inequality
|
|||||||||||||||||
JEL Classifications | |||||||||||||||||
O10, E6, D63, F6
|
|||||||||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||||||||
The reflections which follow build on two interrelated questions,
namely, first, whether we are witnessing another “industrial
revolution”, and second, what is the impact of technological
transformations upon the current dynamics of the socio-economic
fabric, especially with respect to employment, income distribution,
working conditions and labour relations. We argue that the processes
of innovation and diffusion of what we could call “intelligent
automation” are likely to change, or more likely reinforce, the
patterns of distribution of income and power, which have been there
well before the arrival of the technologies we are concerned about:
some are indeed intrinsic features of capitalism since its inception,
while others are features of the last thirtyforty years. First, we
shall offer a fresco of such tendencies which certainly preceded any
potential “Fourth Industrial Revolution” but are going to be amplified
by the latter. Second, we discuss the features of such possible new
techno-economic paradigms. Third, we examine the relationships
between technology, productivity and growth, and the ensuing impact on
jobs, division of labour, distribution of knowledge, power, and
control. Finally, we address some policy implications.
|
Downloads
|
|
| |
|
Back
|
|