Relocating the Value of Work: Technical Communication in a Post-Industrial Age
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a785833722~db=all
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  peer-reviewed

Johnson-Eilola, Johndan
Technical Communication Quarterly
1996

Abstract:

This article analyzes the location of “value” in technical communication contexts, arguing that current models of technical communication embrace an outdated, self-deprecating, industrial approach subordinating information to concrete technological products. By rethinking technical communication in terms of Reich's “symbolic-analytic work”, technical communicators and educators can move into a post-industrial model of work that prioritizes information and communication, with benefits to both technical communicators and users.