mechanization-of-work

The chapter critiques the dominance of functionalism in scientific and technological thinking, emphasizing how it reduces human individuality and life itself to mere functions within mechanized systems. It argues that this instrumentalist mindset, while effective for technical progress and automation, leads to a dehumanizing loss of personality and vitality, ultimately resulting in a mental and ecological desolation. The author foresees the collapse of such a system once it exhausts its resources and usefulness.

In this chapter, Monica Dean examines archival photographs and documents from the Institute for Industrial Psychology, depicting women and men engaged in various industrial and agricultural labor from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The images and captions reveal the mechanization of work, the regimented and impersonal nature of labor, and the subtle human traces within these industrial processes, while Dean reflects on the ritualistic handling of these historical artifacts and the emotional distance they evoke. The chapter explores the tension between human presence and mechanized control, as well as the transformation of workers into components within larger industrial systems.