Amanda B.
Do you think these women have status? Power? What has their assembly-line/mass-producing- type job done to them? Are they a commodity?

Alex P.
Previously, workers successfully employed computer-based "trickery"--such as using the "dummy key" or circumventing double keying by copying disks--which allowed them to feign a doubled work production, increasing their access to incentive bonuses.  Considering that "workers [were able to] cleverly manipulate a tool that by design is meant to elude their understanding and a labor process that is predicated on the computer's imperviousness to such tampering," how do you think operators' views of technology and "modernity" have changed?  

Alex V.
Freeman writes of the tension between "the computer as an embodiment of possibility" and "the computer as a tool of bondage." (pg. 148) What does she mean, and how are these two contradictory forces played out in the pink collar work of informatics?

Zach N.
What do the computers represent? Why is this so?

Zach F.
To what extent do you think the "coolness" of an informatics job keeps women in these jobs when they think they should be paid on a higher scale? Does the industry play on the "coolness" of the job to keep workers at a lower wage?

Amanda P.
The anecdotes in chapter five showcase individual women's thoughts and perspective in working at Data Air, particular their opinions on the benefits involved. The ambiance (like plants), the trips, and the thank-you notes were all mentioned as things that made the women happy to work there. Are these tactics designed to keep women quiet and happy, considering there are also strong disincentives for moving up and a trend of hiring people not interested in "learning" but in just using a computer as a typewriter? Is this reconcilable with many women's notions that their supervisors are helpful and caring?

Julie
What can we make of the fact that people flock to apply for these jobs, yet there is frequent movement of workers between companies?

Gavin
Do you find the traditional femininity being reestablished in the work place while squeezing free time out of the work day to be similar to the actions in teh factories of China in the Mardi-Gras video?  How do you think that this would impact the workplace?

Lizzy
Does the "incentive system" give women a feeling of power and control?  Or are they discouraged by it?

Shannon
Do you think the various practices established in this new sector will alter gender norms for women outside of this space? Do you think these practices are ultimately benefiting women?

Ian
Is there a subliminal message behind the professional attire other than it portrays good work ethic and productive capacity?

Alex P.
Professionalism entails particular costs (e.g., demanding production quotas, constant surveillance) and benefits (e.g., flexibility in accommodating family responsibilities, bonus incentives).  Why do these "pink collar" workers see the benefits as outweighing the costs?  Is it because this "pink collar" strata provides workers with an illusory transcendence into a higher social class?  How is this illusory status mobility beneficial?  If these workers receive relatively small pay checks, yet insist on dressing professionally to reflect a higher social status, what does this say about the status markers employed by people in Barbados?  Is wealth only ONE of many indicators of social status?

Zach N.
Do you believe the informatics “pay back” to the society as well as the awards they receive and the seminars they attend, positively impact their work ethic?  

Christy
How do the young Indian women working in Barbados play into the themes of globalization we have discussed in this class?

Tiffany
Would you say that these women really take pride in their appearance in order to distinguish themselves from other women who either are not as important or who just do not hold the same positions as them?

Stephanie
The author notes that the professional dress and overall status that comes along with working in informatics does not "trick" these women into actually thinking they are truly professional.  Although they are not successful in "tricking" themselves, do you feel as though they are successful in tricking others? Is their intentions, and if so, is there anything harmful about this?

Shannon
What makes being modern so appealing?  If your class or wage has not altered, why does it often still imply that you are better off?

Amanda P.
I was very surprised to hear that only 3 percent of data entry operators purchased their work clothing from local stores and boutiques (244). Assuming its more expensive to purchase clothes overseas or have them tailor-made, what connection can be made between clothing, data-entry work, and exoticism? What is it about local clothes that is so off-putting to these women?

Ian
Transnationalism is never static. Where does it go from here? How does it change? What workers will be affected next? Can we even predict it or do we have to wait for the global system to respond?

Ian
In this book Freeman seems to make an underlying point of the ability for transnationalism and localization to become intertwined. How can this work? How do the women of Barbados exemplify this understanding?