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End of Middle-Classes? Social Inequalities in Digital Age

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  • Bögenhold, Dieter
  • Permana, Muhammad Yorga

Abstract

The paper is about a socioeconomics and sociology of middle classes in a theoretical discussion and empirically focussing at “middle class” segments of different European societies for the time period between 2003 and 2014. The argumentation is strongly embedded to Schumpeterian thought of evolutionary economics but it is tried to link discussion about “creative destruction” to digitalization and the evolution of stratified societies in Europe on international comparison. The paper attempts to question assumptions of growing inequality theoretically and empirically by referring to Collins’ thesis of an increased de-middledization. We argue that the ability of ICT innovations (i.e. digitalization) to perform specialized, routine, and predicted tasks better than human allows them to supress middle skilled labor, affect to the polarization of jobs, and finally lead to de-middledization.

Suggested Citation

  • Bögenhold, Dieter & Permana, Muhammad Yorga, 2018. "End of Middle-Classes? Social Inequalities in Digital Age," MPRA Paper 87202, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:87202
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/87202/1/MPRA_paper_87202.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Awuni, Evans Tindana & Kemmerling, Achim, 2024. "Taking Gerschenkron to the Field: Attitudes towards Digitalization Hopes and Fears about the Future of Work in Ghana," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(2).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    society; digital age; middle-class; European societies; creative destruction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O35 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Social Innovation
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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