InequalityinamericaThecaseforpostindustrialcapitalism.pdf英文资料.pdfVIP

INEQUALITY IN AMERICA: THE CASE FOR POST-INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM Joel I. Nelson ABSTRACT Post-industrial theorists suggest that the increased use of theoretical knowledge and information technology are among the most important developments in contemporary societies. This chapter introduces the concept of post-industrial capitalism to illustrate how knowledge and information influence inequality in the contemporary United States. The concept refers to a phase in capitalist development where the exploitation of knowledge and information are increasingly used to advance opportu- nities for profit and political advantage. Several case studies related to politics and the economy show that elites benefit from new waves of technology for three principal reasons: because they have the capital to acquire effective technologies, because they have organizational access to implement them across multiple institutions in a manner consistent with their interests, and because they have the degrees offreedom to reduce the risks that inevitably accompany technological innovations. These case studies additionally highlight the role of technological innovations in providing elites not only with the critical resources necessary to effectively shift the social contract with labor in the United States but to do so in a manner which minimizes the reactions of both unions and politicians. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 18, pages 39-62. Copyright © 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. ISBN: 0-7623-0752-8 39 40