Introduction
In recent years, employers and workers have been assailed by an avalanche of pessimistic predictions about the crushing blow to jobs that the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution will inevitably cause. It is associated with the latest technological advances and robotics, digitalization, and the creation of artificial intelligence. Although, there are opinions that the new technologies will make human labor easier and that humans will only manage the tasks and not do the hard work. Therefore, it is essential to establish the impact of new technologies on my field of work.
Exploring the Effect of Technology on the Labor Market
There are many misconceptions about the impact of automation on the employment market. In fact, new technology has always led to the closing of old jobs and creating of new ones. In general, labor markets have benefited from technology, although many recent publications have suggested that technology is harmful to employment. In essence, this situation is not much different from the first reaction to the Industrial Revolution in Britain, when “artisans were crushing machines to avoid removing their jobs” (Acemoglu & Restrepo, 2020, p. 2188). Nevertheless, the fact that machines are replacing humans is not a bad idea. Today’s main problem is the redistribution of income from machine labor, not that technology is occupying jobs. It is improbable that robots will be in a position to do all the types of work that humans perform today. However, artificial intelligence programs and other technologies will do more significant work for people in the near future increasingly.
The significant contribution of technology to the labor market is improved productivity. Workers in the industry can now create more projects with less effort. Therefore, the market will require many art and design professionals to create unique ideas and projects (Picon, 2021). It is important to note that technology will enable new architectural projects to be constructed quickly. Accordingly, the market will value the professional knowledge and creative ideas that graduates of my specialty will produce. Thus, technology will improve the sector’s development and encourage faster technical implementation of new designs.
The impact of technology on architecture also needs to be mentioned, which is based on innovative solutions. These are the creation of new materials and structures, digital design, and construction capabilities. In addition, technology provides opportunities for 3D printing of buildings, endless interpretations of perpetual material, design, and the creation of new engineering systems (Picon, 2021). Hence, the active implementation of new technologies will enable my industry to use the latest methods to implement employees’ ideas. It should be noted that technology will act as a means of facilitating the work of architects, designers, and artists. For example, computer graphics are based on the virtual reality of three-dimensional space, which is viewed from all angles (Picon, 2021). It presents an opportunity for creative workers to evaluate and consider their own ideas with the aid of modulation, offering new technologies.
Conclusion
Therefore, the development of new technologies and even robots will positively impact the improvement of my industry. This can be explained by the fact that the market will value human talent and ideas, which robots will help realize. Indeed, a few manual jobs will decrease, but vacancies will grow for graduates of my colleagues who will provide new and creative solutions. At the same time, the advancement of technology will facilitate and enhance the production of projects, which again demonstrates the positive influence.
References
Acemoglu, D., & Restrepo, P. (2020). Robots and jobs: Evidence from US labor markets. Journal of Political Economy, 128(6), 2188-2244. Web.
Picon, A. (2021). The Materiality of architecture. The University of Minnesota Press.
Social Groups: The Main Characteristics
Social groups are entities in which individuals are interconnected through a common trait, social position, or other factors which facilitate the formation of a group. The aspects that unite a multitude of people facilitate the construction of a social group. The aforementioned communities can have various sizes, premises, norms, and objectives. On the one hand, nationality can facilitate the formation of a major social group. On the other hand, two people united through a common trait or mission can have the same definition.
The structure, interactions, and common motivation within the cluster are also essential premises. According to researchers, social groups are constructed based on social relationships (Rodriguez-Santiago et al., 2020). For example, an organization working with homeless people considers the social relationship established as a result of the common factor linking individuals together, such as a lack of stable housing. Other groups may be formed based on different premises, such as income, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender, religion, education, or political views.
Groups serve various purposes and have different scopes depending on their structure, size, and the factor that facilitates their formation. In regards to size, a smaller group consisting of a member and a facilitator may have a therapeutic and personal purpose. On the other hand, a more significant cluster may have the intention of organizing individuals into communities to implement an intervention that will touch upon the various members. For the premise to be examined further, it is essential to highlight the different types of social groups.
According to researchers, groups differ based on the relationship between the participants. Namely, intimate, face-to-face, and primary groups are those in which the participants are closely related (Kühl, 2020). The tight clusters can be formed among relatives and close friends or church groups or social support collectives as long as the link between the members becomes personal and intensely emotionally active. Primary groups, on the other hand, are linked through a common premise yet are usually temporary and less interpersonal. An example is a social group based on the lack of stable housing, which was mentioned previously. A less attached type, namely, collectives, are formed of individuals linked temporarily and have a loose connection, such as people flying in the same airplane or watching the same movie at the theatre.
The characteristic of a group is based on the mission and the accomplishment of said goal. For example, a group of homeless people can be formed on the basis of intervention when it comes to housing. On the other hand, the group’s characteristics may be described as a therapeutic one if the objective is addressing mental health problems. The characteristic is also closely tied to the facilitator. Hence, the person who constructs the group environment is responsible for facilitating collaboration and establishing goals before ensuring they have been achieved (Jenkinson et al., 2019). The facilitator is a formal entity within the structure of the group. According to researchers, the structure can be formal and informal, formal being the facilitators and the participants, while informal considering people’s hierarchical power within the cluster (Thoman et al., 2019). For example, an individual with a more dominant character or one who has had more experience with homelessness and how to overcome it can become the informal norm creator within the aforementioned group.
When it comes to accomplishing group goals, it is important to effectively formulate the scope and objectives. For example, the formulated goal is to assist homeless people with acquiring housing. The plan implies collaboration with various state and non-profit organizations, legislative implications, and interpersonal relationships with members, namely, emotional support. Establishing the objective, the aspects that are to be considered, and micromanaging each step, in particular, helps group goal accomplishment.
References
Jenkinson, H., Leahy, P., Scanlon, M., Powell, F., & Byrne, O. (2019). The value of groupwork knowledge and skills in Focus Group Research: A FOCUS Group Approach with marginalized teens regarding access to third-level education. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18, 160940691988185. Web.
Kühl, S. (2020). Groups, organizations, families and movements: The Sociology of Social Systems between interaction and Society. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 37(3), 496–515. Web.
Rodriguez-Santiago, M., Nührenberg, P., Derry, J., Deussen, O., Francisco, F. A., Garrison, L. K., Garza, S. F., Hofmann, H. A., & Jordan, A. (2020). Behavioral traits that define social dominance are the same that reduce social influence in a consensus task. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(31), 18566–18573. Web.
Thoman, D. B., Lee, G. A., Zambrano, J., Geerling, D. M., Smith, J. L., & Sansone, C. (2019). Social influences of interest: Conceptualizing group differences in education through a self-regulation of motivation model. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 22(3), 330–355. Web.
The Grapes Of Wrath By Steinbeck And Under The Feet Of Jesus By Viramontes
Migration and immigration are considered the third globalization wave, secondary to capital and goods. The migration issue is extending in scope, impacts, and complexity. The refugees experience several challenges during their course of movement and other difficulties in the areas they settle in as varying factors drive them out of their homes. The novels The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and Under the Feet of Jesus (1996) depict that human migration is mainly influenced by culture, disasters, and livelihoods rather than the will of exploitation. The novels elaborate on the causes of migration, the importance of migrants’ rights activists, and how the public unknowingly participates in oppressing the immigrants, thus aiming to change the readers’ perceptions about the refugees.
The refugees (migrants and immigrants) move primarily for survival and thus should not be exposed to further abuse and hostility. The Joads are exploited by the gas stations, land, and store owners whose intentions are to benefit from the refugees’ despair. Moreover, the locals attack the refugee camps due to the fear of refugees (Steinbeck 309). I am massively troubled by the inhumane treatment the Joads and other migrants experience en route to and upon arriving in California. The refugees in the novel and real life are mostly innocent civilians who are victims of occasions they cannot control. Therefore, my opinion of the refugees is improved as I consider them fellow citizens whose rights should be guarded and received warmly to help them overcome the misfortunes that befell them.
The Grapes of Wrath has also altered my view of the activists who fight for the rights and welfare of refugees. Tom claims, “Wherever there’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there…wherever there’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there” (Steinbeck 463). Tom’s statement implies the mistreatments the refugees experience, especially in the refugee camps where they face enormous hunger and police brutality. His statement also highlights the fundamental human rights related to the migration discussion: right to decent living, travel when obliged to leave your home, and freedom of work. Learning how immigrants are denied fundamental human rights in the containment centers has challenged me to have an alternate view of standing up for the unfortunate refugees to fight for their rights. Fighting for the refugees is heroism, political consciousness, and a fight for justice and decency.
Viramontes’ Under the Feet of Jesus makes me realize that most of us are either directly or indirectly guilty of oppressing the immigrants. The author says that “Carrying the full basket to the paper was not like the picture on the red raisin boxes Estrella saw in the markets, not like the woman wearing a fluffy bonnet, holding out the grapes with her smiling, ruby lips, the sun a flat orange behind her” (Viramontes 26). The quote likens Estrella’s brutal labor with the perfect farming display as depicted in supermarkets in the country. The corporates do not display the experience of the workers involved in producing the foods. Therefore, we often indirectly enjoy products of the brutal labor experienced by the workers on the farms.
Circumstances beyond our control cause migration; thus, we should advocate for the rights of refugees rather than unfairly ripping off their hard work. Migrants move to survive; hence we should strive to protect their rights as ordinary citizens. Failure to advocate for their welfare as we enjoy the products of their labor makes us perpetrators of the inhumanity pelted on them on the farms. Therefore, the novels broadened my view on migration and human rights.
Works Cited
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. Penguin Books, 1939.
ViramontesHelena María. Under the Feet of Jesus. Penguin, 1996.