Textuality » 4A Interacting
CRITICISM TO INDUSTRIAL WORLD:
The Industrial system is based only on the law of supply and demand. The MD does not have pity for the workers and is only interested in production. Robyn Penrose on the contrary feels compassion for them. The main aim of industry is to produce more and in a more efficient way, through a process called "rationalisation". This creates redundancies of workers who will be fired without any preoccupation because the only aim is the efficiency of production.
Robyn accuses industrial world to speak only in terms of money, while there is something more important in life, like happiness.
During the visit of the foundry Robyn is astonished to see the conditions the workmen work in. It's dirty, dark, monotonous, like a prison or hell. And what's even worse they do not complain about it. She tries to think to some solutions but Mr Wilcox explains her that if they give the workers some comfort they start asking for higher positions, while in a factory everything has to be done considering the economy of production and in terms of money.Factory is also accused to be chauvinist and racist: there are images of naked pinups on every wall without respect for female workers and the hardest jobs are committed to immigrants. Mr Wilcox justifies it saying that it is the law of "supply and demand". Indeed only immigrants apply for hard jobs while Europeans do not want to do them.
Workmen do not work in proper conditions but Vic exclaims they vandalise each structure is put to better their position.
Industry moreover fires men without forewarning and sometimes pushes workers who are redundant to make mistakes in order to be sacked, like the case of Danny Ram.
Quite in the middle of the book the author shows another problem of industry: competition with other companies. Each one
wants to get the best market offering the most convenient prices and weakening the adversaries. But each company is weakened in turn, in a race without end, only to in name of competition.
CRITICiS TO THE WORLD OF ACADEMY:
University are considered institutions which are far distant from modern problems, whose staff are ignorant of the reality of commercial world. University is directly accused not to consider concrete problems and to think only in theoretical terms.
Right at the beginning of the book Mr Wilcox and Dr Penrose argue about strikes. She tries to defend her position and to legitimate them. On the contrary he shows her that kind of protest doesn't have concrete basis because doesn't offer a possible real solution. He takes as an example the industry system where workers do not make strike because it would only damage the whole production without bringing improvement.
Many faculties moreover do not prepare students to a concrete job, "useful" for society. University is more interested in ideals than in concrete problems, but protests for them without offering solutions. In the book indeed Robyn demonstrates to let all students and teachers have everything they need but without thinking to money which will be spent.
Many faculties work on topics which are distant and insignificant for much of the population, being therefore considered an alien world. Intellectuals always try to see hidden meanings in everything, without regarding at a thing as it really is.
In the book Mr Wilcox raises another problem: the large number of faculties instead of the creation of more polytechnics. They would be more convenient but prevent students from move away their houses and live new experiences. Once more university postpones economy to ideals. At the same time however university claims to be opened to everyone but only students from middleclass families can afford them. Therefore it becomes an elitist institution.
During the second part of the Shadow Scheme Wilcox experiences life in university and critics the behaviour of the teachers
who can take long pauses during their work, diminishing their efficiency (according to Mr Wilcox).
In addition universities are collegiate institutions, where each decision can be taken only after committees, thus rendering the whole system more complex and slow, unable to face problems. In the end universities cannot fire old teachers and this prevents refreshment of workers and does not help new teachers to create their own career.