Class, Power and Technology

"Class, Power and Technology" analyses the development and nature of skilled manual work in Britain and the USA since 1940. Penn discusses theories of skill, including theories of deskilling, and the impact of technology on skills. He charts historical changes in the class situation of skilled manual workers, contrasting trends in Britain and the USA, and discussing changes in their orientations to work, politics and other issues. In the course of this analysis, the author aims to develop an account of skilled work which differs substantially from those current in the literature and which involves a close integration of sociological and historical reasoning. The author contrasts the class structures of Britain and the USA in such a way as to cast doubt upon a range of orthodox theories of class and politics. This book is intended as a source of factual information and a reference for students of politics and sociology.