patterns of labour, patterns of challenge: gender, voice and new information communication...

Patterns of labour, Patterns of labour, patterns of challenge:patterns of challenge:

gender, voice and new gender, voice and new information communication information communication technologies in industrial technologies in industrial

relationsrelations

Patterns of labourPatterns of labour

Margaret GriecoMargaret GriecoProfessor of Transport and Society, Professor of Transport and Society, Napier UniversityNapier UniversityandandSalaried Visiting Full Professor, Salaried Visiting Full Professor, Institute for African Development, Institute for African Development, Cornell University. Cornell University.

patterns of challengepatterns of challenge

1. Patterns of labour - perspectives 1. Patterns of labour - perspectives of scholarship and commitment of scholarship and commitment

Richard Whipp – the legacy Richard Whipp – the legacy The social process approach to skillThe social process approach to skill Correcting the "missing record" Correcting the "missing record" the active part played by women in the the active part played by women in the

synchronisation of household or synchronisation of household or domestic rhythms and industrial domestic rhythms and industrial workplace rhythms workplace rhythms


the gender communication the gender communication structures of the workplace structures of the workplace

gender and the world of work in the gender and the world of work in the electronic age electronic age

gender, voice and the new gender, voice and the new information communication information communication technologies in industrial relations. technologies in industrial relations.


2. Recording the past, archiving the 2. Recording the past, archiving the present: developing labour's present: developing labour's knowledge baseknowledge base

Whipp's Patterns of labour provides a Whipp's Patterns of labour provides a challenge to existing accounts of women as challenge to existing accounts of women as passive passive

The failure to notice or record active The failure to notice or record active management of their world by women at management of their world by women at the level of society and, correspondingly, the level of society and, correspondingly, scholarship was commonplace in the world scholarship was commonplace in the world of a heavily male political structure, media of a heavily male political structure, media and academy.and academy.

Patterns of labourPatterns of labour Women's informal organising and patterns Women's informal organising and patterns

of resistance received little attention in the of resistance received little attention in the world of political structures which were world of political structures which were formally male. The recording of the past formally male. The recording of the past was weak and the formal archiving of the was weak and the formal archiving of the present beyond the communication present beyond the communication resources of women. resources of women.

Women's labour history did not disappear Women's labour history did not disappear deprived of formal communication deprived of formal communication resources but rather was relayed by local resources but rather was relayed by local collective voice within the community of collective voice within the community of women as long as the employment base in women as long as the employment base in which such labour was embedded remainedwhich such labour was embedded remained


The advent of new information The advent of new information communication technologies enables the communication technologies enables the recollection of now fragmented labour recollection of now fragmented labour histories of women who worked in histories of women who worked in industries which have disappeared. industries which have disappeared.

Women now have the technical ability and Women now have the technical ability and material opportunity to record and archive material opportunity to record and archive their experience of labour and to place their experience of labour and to place documentary evidence on a par with that documentary evidence on a par with that of the more formally resourced male world. of the more formally resourced male world.


It is the time to launch the major digital It is the time to launch the major digital collection and recollection of women's collection and recollection of women's labour history:labour history:

it is also the time to ensure that women are it is also the time to ensure that women are alerted to the potential of the new alerted to the potential of the new information communication technologies in information communication technologies in the better organisation and interaction of the better organisation and interaction of the spheres of home and work for female the spheres of home and work for female labour. labour.

Recording past gender voice can be a Recording past gender voice can be a pathway to the better organisation of pathway to the better organisation of present gender voice. present gender voice.

patterns of challengepatterns of challenge the right of workplace access to electronic the right of workplace access to electronic

contact with other household members contact with other household members seems likely to figure in worker seems likely to figure in worker entitlements as a necessary and routine entitlements as a necessary and routine part of social life. part of social life.

There are new information communication There are new information communication technology parallels to the communication technology parallels to the communication structure of the women workers studied by structure of the women workers studied by Richard Whipp which have yet to receive Richard Whipp which have yet to receive any sustained attention. any sustained attention.

Hopefully, this position paper begins an Hopefully, this position paper begins an interest in developing such research interest in developing such research amongst new scholars amongst new scholars

Patterns of labourPatterns of labour 3. Globalising gender voices: women 3. Globalising gender voices: women

and healthand health Richard Whipp in his research of the Richard Whipp in his research of the

patterns of women's labour within the patterns of women's labour within the potteries became aware that the family potteries became aware that the family planning aspects of lead paint were known planning aspects of lead paint were known to the women within the industry. to the women within the industry. Exposure to lead paint produced Exposure to lead paint produced miscarriages and was part of women's miscarriages and was part of women's strategies to hold down family size. strategies to hold down family size.

This social use of industrial resources fits This social use of industrial resources fits into the wider pattern of women's into the wider pattern of women's knowledge of health. knowledge of health.


Women's health practices were often hidden Women's health practices were often hidden from authority as with the knowledge of the from authority as with the knowledge of the impact of exposure to lead. impact of exposure to lead.

Women's relationship to health knowledge Women's relationship to health knowledge had lost ground over centuries: the folk had lost ground over centuries: the folk medicine knowledge of wise women had medicine knowledge of wise women had been displaced and replaced by the been displaced and replaced by the development of a male medical profession development of a male medical profession which held dominance even in the central which held dominance even in the central areas of female identity such as child birth. areas of female identity such as child birth.


With the recent rise of distributed With the recent rise of distributed information communication technologies, information communication technologies, the health debate is increasingly being the health debate is increasingly being impacted by the communication circuits and impacted by the communication circuits and worlds of women. worlds of women.

Challenges to the male perspectives of the Challenges to the male perspectives of the health establishment are increasingly health establishment are increasingly launched by social movements of negatively launched by social movements of negatively impacted womenimpacted women ((http://www.design-and-determination.com/ghttp://www.design-and-determination.com/gender-health.htmlender-health.html).).


The internet and world wide web The internet and world wide web have enabled women to post their have enabled women to post their experiences of pharmaceuticals and experiences of pharmaceuticals and other health treatments – other health treatments –

health and medical information is no health and medical information is no longer confined to the local worlds of longer confined to the local worlds of women's undercover health circuits women's undercover health circuits or the closely guarded professional or the closely guarded professional knowledge bases of men. knowledge bases of men.


The voice of the female health consumer The voice of the female health consumer through these new extra local health through these new extra local health information and communication circuits joins information and communication circuits joins often with the interests of the health often with the interests of the health employee. employee.

The raising of women's voices in the sphere The raising of women's voices in the sphere of health provides important opportunities for of health provides important opportunities for organised labour to develop strategies to organised labour to develop strategies to challenge capital, most particularly in respect challenge capital, most particularly in respect of Big Pharma and the organisation and of Big Pharma and the organisation and reorganisation of health provision, such as reorganisation of health provision, such as the changes in the NHS. the changes in the NHS.


Developing the alliance between female Developing the alliance between female voices on health experience and needs and voices on health experience and needs and health workers based upon the new health workers based upon the new information communication technology information communication technology affordances has been underconsidered as affordances has been underconsidered as an appropriate strategy by organised labour an appropriate strategy by organised labour (see the UNISON site (see the UNISON site http://http://www.unison.org.ukwww.unison.org.uk//upon which such an upon which such an alliance strategy in fighting the privatisation alliance strategy in fighting the privatisation of the NHS is seemingly absent). of the NHS is seemingly absent).

Patterns of labourPatterns of labour 4. Organising organised labour: women's 4. Organising organised labour: women's

time and women's contribution.time and women's contribution. Richard Whipp's recognition that women actively Richard Whipp's recognition that women actively

manage their time between household and manage their time between household and employment activitiesemployment activities

New information communication technologies New information communication technologies properly organised can enable women to migrate properly organised can enable women to migrate more readily across the boundaries of previously more readily across the boundaries of previously separate and distinct geographical spheres and separate and distinct geographical spheres and activities. Historically, the time poverty of women activities. Historically, the time poverty of women worked against their participation in formal worked against their participation in formal political activities: new information political activities: new information communication technologies enable women to communication technologies enable women to participate in formal political activities in smaller participate in formal political activities in smaller and more convenient units of time and more convenient units of time

patterns of challengepatterns of challenge The ability to participate in politics from the The ability to participate in politics from the

domestic space through new information domestic space through new information communication technology is an important but communication technology is an important but underconsidered new competence and affordance. underconsidered new competence and affordance.

Involvement in campaigns and social movement Involvement in campaigns and social movement action through "ten minute activism" is a new action through "ten minute activism" is a new feature of socio-political life: relatively feature of socio-political life: relatively spontaneous but mass social action is now more spontaneous but mass social action is now more easily organised. easily organised.

Identifying precisely what the contours and Identifying precisely what the contours and possible contours of these new competences are possible contours of these new competences are and the ways in which these can be aligned to or and the ways in which these can be aligned to or utilised by organised labour is worthy of an audit. utilised by organised labour is worthy of an audit. Within such an audit, the potential of women's Within such an audit, the potential of women's possible contributions is particularly important. possible contributions is particularly important.

Patterns of labourPatterns of labour How can unions better capture and utilise the How can unions better capture and utilise the

participatory time that women can make participatory time that women can make available through better use of the new available through better use of the new communications technologies? communications technologies?

Organised labour can organise its facilities so as Organised labour can organise its facilities so as to be more hospitable to women's participation. to be more hospitable to women's participation.

Creating areas of union web sites that are Creating areas of union web sites that are useful to women non-members and create a useful to women non-members and create a path by which non-members can align with path by which non-members can align with union activities or be recruited is a strategy union activities or be recruited is a strategy which seems to have received little testing as of which seems to have received little testing as of yet. yet.


The evidence from women's The evidence from women's involvement in social movements involvement in social movements around health is that important around health is that important reservoirs of membership for reservoirs of membership for organised labour are presently lost organised labour are presently lost because the communication because the communication strategies of organised labour have strategies of organised labour have not yet adjusted to the new technical not yet adjusted to the new technical age. age.

Patterns of labourPatterns of labour 5. Conclusion: Patterning our understanding of 5. Conclusion: Patterning our understanding of

women's labour: reviving the social process approach.women's labour: reviving the social process approach. Richard Whipp's work demonstrated to us the local strength Richard Whipp's work demonstrated to us the local strength

women could achieve in an industry which required their women could achieve in an industry which required their manual dexterity (the paintresses of the potteries) and the manual dexterity (the paintresses of the potteries) and the communication structures in which this local strength was communication structures in which this local strength was embedded and out of which it was also produced but his embedded and out of which it was also produced but his work could not talk to the ability of women to organise on the work could not talk to the ability of women to organise on the extra-local level. New information communication extra-local level. New information communication technologies with their highly distributed availabilities now technologies with their highly distributed availabilities now permit this pattern of labour: the detailed social process permit this pattern of labour: the detailed social process approach of understanding the organisation of labour can be approach of understanding the organisation of labour can be equally applied within the world of modern communications equally applied within the world of modern communications and organisation. Understanding gender communications and organisation. Understanding gender communications within the world of industrial relations can contribute to the within the world of industrial relations can contribute to the better organisation of labour, the readier archiving of better organisation of labour, the readier archiving of women's labour history and the formation of a knowledge women's labour history and the formation of a knowledge base through which labour can better research its own base through which labour can better research its own strategies strategies

patterns of challengepatterns of challenge References:References: Whipp, Richard, (1990) PATTERNS OF LABOUR: Work and Social Change in Whipp, Richard, (1990) PATTERNS OF LABOUR: Work and Social Change in

the Pottery Industry (ISBN: 0415030765) Routledge. the Pottery Industry (ISBN: 0415030765) Routledge.

City of Stoke on Trent Museum ServiceCity of Stoke on Trent Museum Service http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/leisure/museums/ http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/leisure/museums/

Greene Anne-marie, Gill Kirton (2003)Possibilities for remote Greene Anne-marie, Gill Kirton (2003)Possibilities for remote participation in trade unions: mobilising women activists participation in trade unions: mobilising women activists Industrial Relations JournalIndustrial Relations Journal Vol. 34 Issue 4 Page 319 October 2003 Vol. 34 Issue 4 Page 319 October 2003

Grieco, M. and Little, S.E. (2005) Gender and health: an agenda for Grieco, M. and Little, S.E. (2005) Gender and health: an agenda for Big Pharma.Big Pharma. http://www.design-and-determination.com/gender-health.htmlhttp://www.design-and-determination.com/gender-health.html

Internal Labour Organisation, Gender Equality Tool Internal Labour Organisation, Gender Equality Tool --http://www.ilo.org/dyn/gender/genderresources.list?http://www.ilo.org/dyn/gender/genderresources.list?p_lang=en&p_category=NEW&p_str=&p_count=0&p_selection=&p_order=p_lang=en&p_category=NEW&p_str=&p_count=0&p_selection=&p_order=TYPE&p_min=211&p_incr=30 TYPE&p_min=211&p_incr=30

United Nations, (2000) Gender, justice and information and United Nations, (2000) Gender, justice and information and communication technologies communication technologies --http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/marcelle.htm Accessed August http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/marcelle.htm Accessed August 20062006

http://www.geocities.com/http://www.geocities.com/transport_and_society/transport_and_society/patternsoflabour.htmlpatternsoflabour.html

http://www.design-and-http://www.design-and-determination.com/labour-determination.com/labour-challenge.ppschallenge.pps