Tech workers as producers of technology in digital capitalism

Towards a revitalised conceptual framing of technical experts in social conflicts

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21189773
AutoresFelix Gnisa (0009-0003-2479-188X, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, autor de correspondencia)
Año2025
Volumen19
Número1
Fecha de publicación2025-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWork Organisation Labour & Globalisation (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1745-641X • E-ISSN: 1745-6428
EditorialPluto Journals (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.13169/workorgalaboglob.19.1.0031
OpenAlexW4408386421
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas31

Since 2017, new conflicts for tech workers in the digital economy have been emerging. These mobilisations have included speaking out against the unfavourable social outcomes of the digital technologies they develop. Against this backdrop, this article asks how the role of technical experts as producers of technology in social conflicts can be understood. In order to examine this question, historical and contemporary research on the political interests of engineers and tech workers is reviewed. Utilising class theories of the new middle classes, three research strands are distinguished: proletarianisation studies, technology studies and profession studies. Whereas the first is mostly applied to the analysis of contemporary conflicts in tech, the latter two carry the potential to understand the role of tech workers as producers in social conflicts. The article discusses how these concepts can be updated to investigate conflicts around technology in digital capitalism

Business · Capitalism · Political science · Digital Economy and Work Transformation · Employment and Welfare Studies · Law