No longer blue vs. white collar

Reich says that “the principal division is no longer between blue and white color workers but rather among three new categories.” These three categories are routine production workers (e.g. payroll clerks, factory workers), in-person workers (e.g. janitors, taxi drivers) and symbolic analysts (e.g. software engineers, strategic planners). These new categories are different from the original separation of factory workers (blue collar) and business executives (white collar). Before, usually blue collar workers had no reason to use computers for their jobs because their jobs did not require it. As technology advances, it is being incorporated into blue collar workers’ lives. However, the point that Reich is trying to make is that although blue collar workers now use computers, they are still be separated from other workers. Reich is saying that although more people are using technology, they are not using it in the same ways, and therefore, we are not making as much progress as we thought. These new categories show how the first two categories use computers or the internet in very routine ways, but the third category elaborates on this usage and makes of ICT for analysis and interpretation of data. As I said earlier, although technology is spreading, each person is using it differently. It may be widespread, but HOW it is used really causes the racial ravine to exist. For example, both a taxi driver and a business executive might have a cell phone. For the taxi driver, they might just have the phone for their job and for contacting their families. The taxi driver might only use the phone for its basic purpose: communication. On the other hand, the business executive may use the phone to check the stock market, type emails or read the New York Times online. Although researchers may say that the digital divide is closing because cell phones are more affordable for all people to use, they are not looking into specifics. The taxi driver might have a pay-as-you-plan flip phone while the executive has an iphone. Furthermore, the fundamental reasons each person has a phone differs. Since a taxi driver has no need for an iphone then why would they pay extra money to have one?