Technological advance and labour – A historical and global approach

Abstract

The author examines the effects of technological advance on the labour market from a non-mainstream, historical and global perspective. First, she presents an overview of the industrial revolutions and their impact on labour and employment and discusses the relation between production techniques and social relations. Then she illuminates some common misunderstandings in connection with the relation of competitiveness and productivity, labour and wage labour and the technology and labour market tensions. Finally, she deals with the social function of education.