In my ethnographic research situated within the fields of labor sociology and critical studies of masculinity, I explore the new practices and demands of contemporary industrial work from the perspective of production workers. I approach these experiences through the lens of class and gender theorizations. At the core of my research lies the hypothesis that knowledge and cognition have assumed a growing role as valuable assets in contemporary capitalism, thereby shaping the embodied aspects of work. Contemporary studies indicate that modern factory production is less reliant on physical "performance" compared to decades past. Instead, production workers increasingly engage in data interpretation, task programming, task recycling, collaborative problem-solving, communication, self-improvement, and the fostering of enthusiasm within the workplace. My focus is on comprehending the emergence of non-traditional forms of working-class masculinity in this novel context, which challenge and redefine conventional constructs.
With the increasing awareness of knowledge-intensive industrial work, there is no longer the same demand for the traditional physical abilities and craftsmanship traditionally valued by working-class men, as there was during the era of industrial capitalism. Instead of physical exertion based on physical strength, industrial production workers are increasingly required to possess problem-solving and teamwork skills, the ability to analyze data, and a continuous desire to learn. This shift is underpinned by a broader transformation in the capitalist system, where the generation of economic value increasingly relies on harnessing people's cognitive, affective, and communicative capacities. The intensification of middle-class and feminized workplace demands has been seen as posing challenges, particularly for working-class men who value traditional physical work.
In an ethnographically oriented research project, the construction and transformation of working-class masculinity in the context of knowledge-intensive machine industry work are examined. The project focuses empirically on a multinational company's manufacturing facility in the field of machinery and metal industry in Finland. The research particularly investigates how working-class men with varying resources shape themselves, workplace practices, and their gender in response to the demands of knowledge-intensive work. The goal of the research project is to develop new conceptual tools for gender and class analysis in the context of work and men's studies and contribute to the ongoing discourse on changes and continuities in masculinity. The research aims to update, refine, and diversify the academic discussion surrounding class-based masculinities.
