Technological change and digitalization

Technological change and digitalization are currently inducing some of the most profound changes in modern societies. New technologies and digitization are changing the way we learn, work, and interact at an unprecedented rate. The use of computers has found its way into elementary schools’ curricula, new study programs such as data science are quickly emerging, and new occupations, such as web administrators or data scientists, have been added to occupational directories. Across many existing occupations, the use of computers has become self-evident, supporting tasks as diverse as taking restaurant orders, bookkeeping, or the performance of surgeries.

However, Technological change and digitalization also challenge existing work relations, as firms increasingly use software, robots and machines to replace routine tasks that humans have previously carried out.

We are aiming to answer questions as to how these fundamental changes shape work relations and inequalities in the educational system and the labor market. The DFG-funded Emmy Noether-project “Gender in the Age of Digitization and Technological Change – Inequalities in the Educational System and the Labor Market (GenDiT)”[Link to GenDiT] in particular focuses on their impact on gender inequalities.

Publications

King, Joseph; Malte Reichelt and Matt Huffman. 2017. “Computerization and Wage Inequality Between and Within German Work Establishments”. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 47, 67-77