• You got a hole in your belly and a phone in your hand: How US government phone subsidies shape the search for employment

    Author(s):
    Ilana Gershon (see profile) , Amy Gonzales
    Date:
    2021
    Group(s):
    Anthropology, Labor Studies
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Employment, job seeking, Lifeline Assistance program, mobile phones, technology maintenance
    Permanent URL:
    https://doi.org/10.17613/rz17-gw88
    Abstract:
    Many of the tasks involved in looking for a job these days involve sharing and storing digital data. Digital technology is now required for job seekers to research employers, store resumes, complete applications, and schedule interviews. What is the employment process for people who are living on the poverty line, without reliable access to the Internet or mobile phones? We focus on technology maintenance, the continuous work required to stay digitally connected, to understand how low-income job seekers in northern California manage the circulation and storage of information. We incorporate the concept of delegation from Latour to explore how people consciously consider who or what entities are responsible for technology maintenance, as this varies by government policies related to digital subsidies. This article draws novel connections between the influence of government policy on technology maintenance and how both the policies and digital inequalities shape impoverished job seekers’ choices around sharing and storage practices
    Metadata:
    Published as:
    Journal article    
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    3 months ago
    License:
    Attribution

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