In Work’s Intimacy, Melissa Gregg discusses the rise of technology and its effects on work, personal life, and relationships. She starts out by highlighting Brisbane as the site of this study due to them being a “template for initiatives in creative cities policy development taking place on a global scale” (Gregg, 2011, p. 25). The boom of the city gave way to gentrification and technology as a means of social status. Many advertisements praised the fast-paced lifestyles of individuals working on-the-go.
In Chapter 2, Gregg (2011) speaks mostly on the cons of working from home based on the accounts of interviewees: “Lisa uses email to perform her competence and diligence for those who are still in the office even though she is not, partly to overcome the perceptions others may have of working from home,” (p. 42) “what Richard missed most about the office was the interaction with colleagues (p. 44). Although many pains of remote work are highlighted here, this section closes on a somewhat positive note. Fathers who have the ability to work from home are physically more present in the home, which could potentially alleviate some stress for working mothers.
The next chapter gets into the dilemmas that part-time or contract workers may face. Without the promise of benefits including health insurance, vacation time, sick leave, etc., these workers are under immense pressure to get their work completed within allotted hours. They are left to deal with “excessive workloads that rarely gain appropriate recognition or compensation” (Gregg, 2011, p. 67) Some part-time workers sometimes feel the need to work almost full-time hours to “demonstrate their worth” (Gregg, 2011, p. 68). They believe that this work ethic may showcase their loyalty to the organization, therefore earning them at least some partial benefits. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Chapter 4 begins Part II of the book, in which Gregg discusses online culture and social networking. To start, email is perceived as the major tool for teamwork. Workers note feeling the need to be attentive to their inboxes even off the clock to “be appreciated by the team” (Gregg, 2011, p. 77). This used to be a means of quick conversations until workloads became too heavy. With the introduction of social media, workers began to seek out relationships virtually due to the fact that their colleagues were too buried in work to socialize face-to-face.
Facebook arrives on the scene as the platform with which individuals seem to be the most engaged. It “makes us aware of a larger world” (Gregg, 2011, p. 101). This is great news; however, digital literacy becomes a concern for those who are missing out on the opportunities afforded to them through new media. Gregg (2011) highlights the phenomenon of network capital and how “the influence of personal reputation, history and network presence will be vital” in order to measure our value in the workplace (p. 98).
An increase in new media leads to new career opportunities, including titles such as social media manager. Some interviewed in the book felt as though they were crossing an ethical line: “Blurred distractions between public outreach and commercial transactions frustrated Sam’s efforts to take her employer’s intentions in good faith” (Gregg, 2011, p. 114). It became difficult for employees like Sam to realize whether they were truly looking out for their followers’ best interests, or if these efforts were all for profit. Gregg (2011) cites universities as the most common users of this tactic to “capitalize on young people’s assumed preference for online contact” (p. 114).
Chapter 7 elaborates on the idea that technology provides flexibility, especially for parents; however, there are two sides to this concept. One, working from home allows employees to feel as though they are getting ahead of emails so that they can have a less stressful tomorrow. Two, parents – mostly mothers – complete this email sorting while in the presence of their family members, including children. This gives them a sense of being present in the lives of their loved ones, but at the same time, “Middle-class kids become accustomed to white-collar habits from an early age, learning from experience that households are always also workspaces” (Gregg, 2011, p. 136). These habits lead to decreased spontaneous interaction in the household; individual members often become isolated in one room because they each have their own screen to focus on.
In chapter 8, Gregg alludes to the intimacy of work as an escape for women from their family’s demands at home. She also discusses how this separation throughout the day leads to intimate partners following each other’s every move via social media. This immense use of technology to keep up with one another often plays a part in the demise of productive face-to-face time. Since couples are in the presence of each other, they then feel as though they’re missing out on the other non-romantic relationships with which they may be engaged.
To wrap up, Gregg (2011) focuses on “those whose job it is to provide the infrastructure for the practices that have been taken as typical of office workers” – on-call workers (p. 153). These employees do not have the luxury of making plans with their families on the weekends, or being out of range from their phones. There is a constant “sense of urgency and unpredictability,” making it extremely tough for on-call workers to truly disconnect from their work (p. 161).
The biggest takeaway from this book is for all of us to take a step back and analyze our motives for being so connected to work. The conclusion reminds us that loyalty may seem like the way to prove worth and reap rewards; however, although unfortunate, it is possible that these efforts could go unnoticed. Big organizations are always looking out for their overall success and longevity, so it’s best that we start looking out for our own as well – especially taking mental health into account.
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References
Gregg, M. (2011). Work’s intimacy. Malden, MA: Polity Press.
Tierra Thomas 