Freeze-dried flexibility: a new morphology of labour, casualisation and value

Ricardo Antunes, null

doi:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.5.1.0150

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Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Volume 5, Issue 1

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Freeze-dried flexibility: a new morphology of labour, casualisation and value

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research-article

Author(s): Ricardo Antunes

Publication date (Print): Summer 2011

Journal: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

In recent decades, capitalist society has witnessed profound changes, including in the sphere of labour. Neoliberalism, the restructuring of production and economic expansion shaped through instantly-available, ‘freeze-dried’ flexibility have led to far-reaching transformations in the world of work. As a result of this composite and heterogeneous set of transformations, there has been widespread speculation that we may be witnessing the end of the working class, or at least that labour has lost its central position in society. Recent history has been ruthless in relation to such (mis)constructions: the appearance of finitude has actually been part of a process whereby labour has been redesigned, leading to new modalities of labour and the emergence of a new morphology: a new way of being for labour, that coexists with and combines with its past (and still existing) arrangements. It seems that the more labour appears to dwindle, the broader and more diversified are the forms in which it can rise again (in this context it is irrelevant whether these new forms are more or less precarious or more or less provided with rights than those they replace). This article aims to pursue two of the key polysemic trends that are present in this framework: the casualisation of labour and the development of new forms of labour. It also addresses the implications of these interrelated connections for the law of value.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): workorgalaboglob

Title: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 1745641X

ISSN (Electronic): 17456428

Publication date (Print): Summer 2011

Volume: 5

Issue: 1

Pages: 150-161

Article

Publisher ID: workorgalaboglob.5.1.0150

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.5.1.0150

SO-VID: 8ad70d61-23da-41de-95ba-864453021f91

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Sociology,Labor law,Political science,Labor & Demographic economics,Political economics

References

Antunes, R. (2010) Adeus ao Trabalho? Ensaio sobre as Metamorfoses e a Centralidade do Mundo do Trabalho , 14a. edição, São Paulo: Cortez
Antunes, R. 2009) Os Sentidos do Trabalho , 10a. reimpressão. São Paulo: Boitempo
Antunes, R. (2006) Riqueza e Miséria do Trabalho no Brasil , São Paulo: Boitempo
Antunes, R. (2005) O Caracol e sua Concha: Ensaios sobre a Nova Morfologia do Trabalho , São Paulo: Boitempo
Antunes, R. & R. Braga, (2009) Infoproletarios: dregradacao real do trabalho virtual , São Paulo: Boitempo
Bialakowsky et al., (2003) ‘Diluición y Mutación del Trabajo en la Dominación Social Local’, Revista Herramienta no 23:133–140
Bidet, J & J. Texier (1995) ‘La Crise du Travail’, Actuel Marx Confrontation , Paris: Press Universitaires de France
Bihr, A. (1991) ‘Du “Grand Soir” a “L'Alternative” (Le Mouvement Ouvrier Européen en Crise)’, Paris: Les Editions Ouvrieres
Bremner, B. & C. Dawson, Business Week , 18/11/2003
Castillo, J. (1996) Sociologia del Trabajo , Colección ‘Monografías’ 152. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas: Madrid.
Chesnais, F. (1996) A Mundialização do Capital , São Paulo: Xãma
Davis, M. (2006) Planeta Favela , São Paulo: Boitempo
Japan Press Weekly , 21/02/2004, n. 2371.
Gorz, A. (2005) Imaterial , São Paulo: Annablume
Huws, U. (2003) The Making of a Cybertariat: virtual work in a real world , New York/London: Monthly Review Press/The Merlin Press
Lojkine, J. (1995) ‘De La Révolution Industrielle à la Révolution Informationnelle’, J. Bidet & J. Texier, La Crise du Travail Actuel Marx Confrontation . Paris: Press Universitaires de France Manpower Brasil. Accessed May 17, 2011 from: http://www.manpower.com.br
Meszaros, I. (2002) Para Além do Capital , São Paulo: Boitempo
Pollert, A. (1996) ‘“Team work” on the Assembly Line: Contradiction and the Dynamics of Union Resilience’, in Ackers, P., P. Smith & C. Smith, (org.) The New Workplace and Trade Unionism: Critical Perspectives on Work and Organization , London: Routledge
Tertulian, N. (1993) ‘Le Concept D'Aliénation chez Heidegger et Lukács’, Archives de Philosophie-Reserches et Documentation , 56, julho/setembro, Paris
Taylor, F. W. (1911) Principles of Scientific Management , New York and London: Harper & Brothers
Tosel, A. (1995) ‘Centralité et Non-Centralité du Travail ou La Passion des Hommes Superflus’, J. Bide & J. Texier, (1995) La Crise du Travail: Actuel Marx Confrontation , Paris: Press Universitaires de France
Vasapollo, L. (2005) O Trabalho Atípico e a Precariedade, São Paulo: Expressão Popular
Vincent, J.M. (1995) ‘Flexibilité du Travail et Plasticité Humaine’, J. Bide & J. Texier, (1995) La Crise du Travail: Actuel Marx Confrontation , Paris: Press Universitaires de France
Vincent, J.M. (1993[2]) ‘Les Automatismes Sociaux et le “General Intellect”’, Paradigmes du Travail, Futur Antérieur , no. 16, Paris: L'Harmattan

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Antunes, R. (2010) Adeus ao Trabalho? Ensaio sobre as Metamorfoses e a Centralidade do Mundo do Trabalho , 14a. edição, São Paulo: Cortez

[2] Antunes, R. 2009) Os Sentidos do Trabalho , 10a. reimpressão. São Paulo: Boitempo

[3] Antunes, R. (2006) Riqueza e Miséria do Trabalho no Brasil , São Paulo: Boitempo

[4] Antunes, R. (2005) O Caracol e sua Concha: Ensaios sobre a Nova Morfologia do Trabalho , São Paulo: Boitempo

[5] Antunes, R. & R. Braga, (2009) Infoproletarios: dregradacao real do trabalho virtual , São Paulo: Boitempo

[6] Bialakowsky et al., (2003) ‘Diluición y Mutación del Trabajo en la Dominación Social Local’, Revista Herramienta no 23:133–140

[7] Bidet, J & J. Texier (1995) ‘La Crise du Travail’, Actuel Marx Confrontation , Paris: Press Universitaires de France

[8] Bihr, A. (1991) ‘Du “Grand Soir” a “L'Alternative” (Le Mouvement Ouvrier Européen en Crise)’, Paris: Les Editions Ouvrieres

[9] Bremner, B. & C. Dawson, Business Week , 18/11/2003

[10] Castillo, J. (1996) Sociologia del Trabajo , Colección ‘Monografías’ 152. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas: Madrid.

[11] Chesnais, F. (1996) A Mundialização do Capital , São Paulo: Xãma

[12] Davis, M. (2006) Planeta Favela , São Paulo: Boitempo

[13] Japan Press Weekly , 21/02/2004, n. 2371.

[14] Gorz, A. (2005) Imaterial , São Paulo: Annablume

[15] Huws, U. (2003) The Making of a Cybertariat: virtual work in a real world , New York/London: Monthly Review Press/The Merlin Press

[16] Lojkine, J. (1995) ‘De La Révolution Industrielle à la Révolution Informationnelle’, J. Bidet & J. Texier, La Crise du Travail Actuel Marx Confrontation . Paris: Press Universitaires de France Manpower Brasil. Accessed May 17, 2011 from: http://www.manpower.com.br

[17] Meszaros, I. (2002) Para Além do Capital , São Paulo: Boitempo

[18] Pollert, A. (1996) ‘“Team work” on the Assembly Line: Contradiction and the Dynamics of Union Resilience’, in Ackers, P., P. Smith & C. Smith, (org.) The New Workplace and Trade Unionism: Critical Perspectives on Work and Organization , London: Routledge

[19] Tertulian, N. (1993) ‘Le Concept D'Aliénation chez Heidegger et Lukács’, Archives de Philosophie-Reserches et Documentation , 56, julho/setembro, Paris

[20] Taylor, F. W. (1911) Principles of Scientific Management , New York and London: Harper & Brothers

[21] Tosel, A. (1995) ‘Centralité et Non-Centralité du Travail ou La Passion des Hommes Superflus’, J. Bide & J. Texier, (1995) La Crise du Travail: Actuel Marx Confrontation , Paris: Press Universitaires de France

[22] Vasapollo, L. (2005) O Trabalho Atípico e a Precariedade, São Paulo: Expressão Popular

[23] Vincent, J.M. (1995) ‘Flexibilité du Travail et Plasticité Humaine’, J. Bide & J. Texier, (1995) La Crise du Travail: Actuel Marx Confrontation , Paris: Press Universitaires de France

[24] Vincent, J.M. (1993[2]) ‘Les Automatismes Sociaux et le “General Intellect”’, Paradigmes du Travail, Futur Antérieur , no. 16, Paris: L'Harmattan