Chapter 17
The Math of Getting Squeezed
CHANGES OF MAGNITUDE IN THE PRICE OF LABOUR-POWER AND IN SURPLUS-VALUE Economic Manuscripts: Capital Vol. I - Chapter Seventeen Karl Marx. Capital Volume One Chapter Seventeen: Changes of Magnitude in the Price of Labour-Power and in Surplus-Value Contents Section 1 - Length of the Working-Day and Intensity of Labour Constant. Productiveness of Labour Variable Section 2 - Working-Day Constant. Productiveness of Labour Constant. Intensity of Labour Variable Section 3 - Productiveness and Intensity of Labour Constant. Length of the Working-Day Variable Section 4 - Simultaneous Variations in the Duration, Productiveness, and Intensity of Labour A. Diminishing Productiveness of Labour with…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Productivity Gains
Think of your current or most recent job. Identify one way technology, training, or new processes has made you more productive over the past year. Calculate roughly how much extra value you now create per hour compared to before. Then trace where those gains went—did they show up in your paycheck, reduce your hours, or benefit someone else?
Consider:
- •Consider both obvious changes (new software, equipment) and subtle ones (streamlined procedures, better training)
- •Think about value in terms your employer cares about: more customers served, faster turnaround, fewer errors
- •Remember that productivity gains often appear as 'doing the same work with fewer people' rather than 'doing more work with the same people'
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you worked significantly harder or more efficiently but didn't see the benefits in your paycheck. How did that feel, and what would you do differently if faced with that situation again?
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