In this episode, we explore how lost skills have also lead to lost social roles and lost social status… Returning to that previous theme about Lost skills, there’s also the important point about how some skills were (and sometimes still are) linked to social roles and social status.
Great piece, and analogy Tom. My Mother worked in a mill in the 1940's and equated the work to modern day sweat shops of their time. The improvements were both a blessing and a curse, with those who kept their work reaping the benefits and those who did not cursing the rise of automation.
The automation of these skills was as you rightly mention for the benefit of the rich and decimated small-town industries by and large.
I suppose the same holds true Today and remains a major reason as to why we are losing the art of home industries which have provided an income to the poorer section of communities over the Years.
Great piece, and analogy Tom. My Mother worked in a mill in the 1940's and equated the work to modern day sweat shops of their time. The improvements were both a blessing and a curse, with those who kept their work reaping the benefits and those who did not cursing the rise of automation.
The automation of these skills was as you rightly mention for the benefit of the rich and decimated small-town industries by and large.
I suppose the same holds true Today and remains a major reason as to why we are losing the art of home industries which have provided an income to the poorer section of communities over the Years.
A tragedy to say the least.