Talk Is Cheap

Global economic restructuring modifies the traditional material value of language skills and stands to increasingly fragment labor along class and ethnic lines. Language deskilling, brought about by the international mobility of capital and technological change, has diminished the value of traditionally skilled labor. Yet labor, though weakened economically and politically, is not powerless. Two contrasting instances, examined through a common political-economic perspective, are considered: the U.S. meatpacking industry as exemplified in a Lexington, Nebraska, plant and the labor movement in the national economy of Quebec. These two cases illustrate the unity and diversity found in the contingent and uncertain process of global economic change. The Lexington example illustrates the process by which the language abilities of both immigrant and indigenous labor have been successfully deskilled. The Quebec instance illustrates the capacity of labor to utilize a common language and culture as a mobilization resource to diminish the devaluation of language and secure material gains. Possible future directions of change are considered in each instance

Capital (architecture) · Capitalism · Commodity · Deskilling · Devaluation · Diversity (politics) · Economic restructuring · Economic system · Economics · Economy · Exchange value · Market economy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Restructuring · Sociology · Surplus value · Value (mathematics) · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Multilingual Education and Policy

• Quebec, Francophonie , and Globalization

  Jody Neathery-Castro, Mark O Rousseau et al.•Quebec Studies•2001

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• Language as Both Human Capital and Ethnicity

  Open Access•Krishna Pendakur, Ravi Pendakur•International Migration Review•2002

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• White Men Are This Nation

  Open Access•Michael S Kimmel, Michael Kimmel et al.•Rural Sociology•2000

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• Structuring Diversity

  Louise Lamphere•Structuring Diversity•1992

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• Restructuring the world economy

  Joyce Kolko•Restructuring the world economy•1988

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• Frontiers in social movement theory

  Aldon D Morris, Carol Mcclurg Mueller•Frontiers in social movement theory•1992

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• The second industrial divide

  Charles F Sabel, Michael J Piore•The second industrial divide•1984

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• The New Era of Global Competition

  Daniel Drache, Meric S Gertler•New Era of Global Competition•1991

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• American Indian Ethnic Renewal

  J Nagel•American Indian ethnic renewal•1996

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• The Global Restructuring of Agro-Food Systems

  Philip Mcmichael, Philip D Mcmichael•The Global Restructuring of…•1994

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• English Language Ability and the Labor Market Opportunities of Hispanic and East Asian Immigrant Men

  Sherrie A Kossoudji•Journal of Labor Economics•1988

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• From Columbus to ConAgra

  Alessandro Bonanno•From Columbus to ConAgra•1994

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• Production, power and world order

  Robert W Cox•Production, power and world order•1987

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• Falling from Grace

  Katherine S Newman•Falling from Grace•1988

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• Immigrant America

  A Portes, Rubén G Rumbaut et al.•Immigrant America•2006

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• The Mobility of Labor and Capital

  Open Access•Sassen, Saskia Sassen•Mobility of Labor and Capital•1988

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• English Language Proficiency and the Earnings of Young Immigrants in U.S. Labor Markets

  Open Access•Francisco L Rivera‐Batiz•Review of Policy Research•1992

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• State Capitalism

  Stephen Brooks, Jeanne Kirk Laux et al.•Canadian Public Policy•1988

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• Regionalism and Regional Devolution in Comparative Perspective

  Ray Hutchison, Mark O Rousseau et al.•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•1989

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• Newcomers in the Workplace

  Bryan Roberts, Bryan R Roberts et al.•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•1995

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• Global Capitalism

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• Contemporary Quebec and the United States, 1960-1985

  William Diebold, Alfred O Hero et al.•Foreign Affairs•1989

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• The U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement

  Mel Watkins•Monthly Review•1988

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• The Internationalisation of the State

  Open Access•Sol Picciotto•Capital & Class•1991

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• Mexican Migration and the Social Space of Postmodernism

  Roger Rouse•Diaspora A Journal of Transnational…•1991

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• Midwestern Agriculture in Us Fordism

  Open Access•Martin Kenney, L Lobao et al.•Sociologia Ruralis•1989

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• Europe

  Open Access•John Lambert•Capital & Class•1991

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• Beyond Nationalism, Beyond Protectionism

  Open Access•David Mcnally•Capital & Class•1991

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• The economics of linguistic exchanges

  Open Access•Pierre Bourdieu•Social Science Information•1977

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• When Talk Isn't Cheap

  Open Access•Judith T Irvine•American Ethnologist•1989

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• Skill

  Open Access•Kenneth I Spenner•Work and Occupations•1990

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• The class bases of the Quebec independence movement

  Maurice Pinard, Ryan Hamilton et al.•Ethnic and Racial Studies•1984

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• Negritude, the Talmudic tradition and the intellectual performance of Blacks and Jews

  Alí A Mazrui•Ethnic and Racial Studies•1978

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