Chapter+6+TWIF

THE UNTOUCHABLES - by O'Mar Minaya • Do you agree with Friedman's points in the chapter? Why or why not? I agree with Friedman’s points in the chapter to certain extent. My chapter was called “The Untouchables.” It is about the middle class white collar workers “who’s jobs can not be outsourced (to India or china), digitized, or automated” (Friedman, pg. 280). Friedman’s main point in this chapter was that if Americans are able to multitask and be creative, then they will be able to move within the technological realms of today’s jobs. Friedman spoke of many jobs that were not being outsourced to other countries, but to “the past or to a microchip. The flatter the world gets, the more anything that can be digitized, automated, or outsourced will be digitized, automated, or outsourced ” (Friedman, pg 280). I am not so sure if I agree or disagree with everything Friedman said. It all makes sense, but to me, it has become an eye opener. Now I am looking at the jobs and the opportunities that are available and I wonder if this has been happening all around me while I have been blinded by the basic studying and learning that I have been taught all my years. Are we really being outsourced so much that it is going to begin to affect our economy? Or, are we, Americans, slowly becoming the outside-the-box thinkers without noticing it? I think that, so some extent, Friedman (amongst others) is publicizing an outbreak that has already been happening for quite some time now. I believe it is vital that Americans be aware that being a creative thinker will make you much more indispensable than being a telemarketer. • What are some potential consequences (positive or negative) in the next 10 years if what he says is true? If what Friedman says is true then our ways of thinking and studying are going to have to change. If they do change and everyone in the U.S. begins to become an innovator then this flattening of the world issue will not become so much of an issue anymore. Quite simply the whole world is going to begin to progress financially and the U.S. companies will continue to be innovators and the growth of the world will multiply. As a result, the U.S. will continue to lead in industries and Americans will still be the backbones of the operations. Meaning the world will cease to “flatten.” On the downside, if the outsourcing to other countries continues and U.S. workers do not evolve into critical thinkers, then this new “flat world” will take away lot of what makes the U.S. “America.” We stand for freedom, opportunity, and escape from the poverty of many other 3rd world nations. We, Americans, must make the choice to think outside the box up to the point where outsourcing will be a positive thing for all of us because we have learned to use all of our resources in our favor. • How do you suppose his points affect us as educators? How about our students? School in general? I feel that Friedman’s poses some strong points and we, as educators, can not take this lightly. Our future generations depend on our teaching methods. In the near future districts should begin to focus on teaching students how to be innovators, and how to be one of the “untouchables.” In order for us to do this we have to be aware of the problem and become untouchables ourselves. Otherwise our future generations will only be pawns in this world of innovators. We must teach them to have different skills. Most of us are in the middle society, and the middle society is what is being outsourced by other countries or by time. If we teach our students how to become multitaskers, which are people that can do more than just one task for the company. We can teach them to reap the benefits of becoming “ versatilists ”, which is the transformation from choosing specialists to choosing “employees who are adaptable and versatile” (Friedman, pg. 293). Although I don’t think his points are affecting schools so much right now. In the near future, as the jobs are outsourced more and more and the “flattening” becomes more of a reality. His research will become more of a practice.

Chapter 6 The Untouchables In this chapter Friedman discusses how a middle class will be formed and the skills these people will need in order to survive in the flattening world. He poses the question, “What do we tell our kids? ” (pg. 278) His answer is that in the new flat world, many opportunities will become available for middle class people that have the “right knowledge, skills, ideas and self-motivation to seize them.” (pg. 278) He further explains how workers will have to embody the needs of companies on a global level. It will be necessary for individual to thrive for advancement and to acquire the skills to compete globally. The New Middle Friedman explains that teachers are going to have to learn a new way to teach and students will have to learn differently. In order for people to survive in the flattening world they must become an untouchable. An untouchable is someone whose job will not be outsourced or outdated. Friedman groups the untouchables into three categories: special or specialized, localized or anchored, the old middle. Special or specialized people will consist of people like Beyonce or Eddie Murphy. Localized or anchored people are people that have jobs in specific locations or personalized contact. Professions for this group would include doctors, waitresses, and contractors. The old middle is the broadest category and it includes most people. These people hold positions that are being threatened by the flattening world. It will become important for people to focus on the positives of globalization. Although incomes may not budge, the author argues that prices have dropped and most items have become more affordable due to outsourcing. The author says, “The U.S. economy used to look like a bell curve with a big bulge in the middle. That bulge of middle-class jobs has been the foundation not only of our economic stability but our political stability as well. Democracy cannot be stable without a broad and deep middle class.” (pg. 284) Friedman states that the most important thing to do is focus on the middle jobs and create ways for Americans to compete globally in order to hold these positions. Friedman breaks down the new jobs that will create the new middle class; he calls this the new middlers. He believes the employment section of newspapers targets these specific skills. Great Collaborators and Orchestrators Many new jobs will cause for people to collaborate or orchestrating collaboration with others within their company and outside of it and the world. People will still hold local positions but may have a home base in another country. The collaborators will have to provide face to face instruction. These positions will include those in sales and marketing. The Great Synthesizers The synthesizers will be responsible for bringing companies together. Technology will be a part of business in every way, shape and form. It will become necessary for these companies to build relationships and the synthesizers will be the people responsible for this endeavor. The Great Explainers This particular category will include managers, teachers and journalists. These people will break down complicated information and provide a basic comprehendible explanation. People may be able to create software but who is going to explain why it’s needed? The Great Explainers will be responsible for creating these opportunities for businesses. The Great Leveragers The Great Leveragers are those who are able to respond to technology. These people are important because technology must be monitored. These people are specialized and are able to trouble shoot potential technological issues. For example, “The really special or specialized jobs at EDS are held by those people who can leverage technology, who can design precisely these computer programs that enable people to work smarter and faster. Those people are untouchables.”(pg. 292) The Great Adapters The Great Adapters will be those people who are able to wear many hats and perform different duties. Friedman also refers to them as Versatilists. Versatilists are able to “apply depth of skill to a progressively widening scope of situations and experiences, gaining new competencies, building relationships, and assuming new roles.”(pg. 294) The Green People The Green People will become responsible for the environment and how we use energy. Because many other countries are becoming industrialized there will be a need to monitor emissions, factors relating to global warming and how do use less energy. The Passionate Persoanlizers The Passionate Persoanlizers are those who take a simple task and making it personal. Friedman says, “Anyone who can take an old middle service job – from telephone operator to health-care provider to service workers of all types to office receptionists – and give it something personal, something special, some real passions, will have a good chance of turning it into a new middle job that cannot be outsourced, automated or digitized. (pg. 299) Think of your favorite bartender or waitress? What makes them your favorite? Why do you go out of your way to be serviced by them? Math Lovers The Math Lovers have a place in the middle because of their ability to make complex computations. These workers along with computer scientists will help aggregate data, assist with marketing plans, research and operations. Friedman says that 62% of new jobs will have to be proficient in algebra, geometry, probability and even statistics. Currently, even school districts are using math to monitor data. The Great Localizers This category consist of small businesses. These localized businesses affect the economy directly. When these companies are hiring and firing the economy is stable when they aren’t the economy may go in a recession. These small companies will be able to compete due to globalization. They will have the opportunity to thrive by purchasing items at a lesser value. Friedman explains that these categories are broad and may be changing and there are not any boundaries. People will need to constantly hone their skills and use technology. In an advancing workforce, students will need to adapt to the changing work by having skills that are needed in the future.