Let's assume that it will be expensive to live in a Habitat.
all of the skill sets on Earth that earn less than your arbitrary
salary won't be economically feasible in space.
Now, remove the ceterus paribus condition. If a skill set is
required and is to difficult to replace with robotics then the skill
will be more valuable in a Habitat compared to your chosen skill
set, than it would on Earth.
For instance, let's say you've chosen an engineering or piloting
skill set as the bare minimum needed to earn a sufficient income to
live in a Habitat. Will you be able to live without gardeners,
waiters, day care center workers, office clerks, sales clerks,
cashiers, bagboys, roofers, dental hygenists, elder care workers,
cooks, tailors, barbers, manicurists, etc.
Some of these lower paying positions might be replaced by robotics.
The functions will be necessary but the manpower won't. There'll be
incentive to develop the robotics to serve the necessary market in
orbit but a consequence of this will be to provide job replacement
technology here on Earth which otherwise wouldn't have been
economical without orbital society ammortizing the development cost.
However, some positions may still require a human presence so market
forces will adjust salary levels to compensate.
I don't think it's safe to assume that the current career pyramid we
have on Earth will necessarily translate well into orbit. Let's say,
and I know it's a stretch, but for some reason robotics can never
master the task of cutting human hair. People will have the choice
of being known as a civilization with the ugliest haircuts in the
solar system or they could train some barbers. However, the barbers
will have to earn the equivalent of an engineer in order to forego
the other opportunities available to them and to be able to achieve
the barest minimum living standard. It may be the norm to pay $80
dollars for a haircut compared to {fill in the blank} that you pay
here on Earth.
Anyone want to elaborate on these principles?
TangoMan
--- In ssi_list@... "victoriatangoman"
> For instance, let's say you've chosen an engineering or piloting
> skill set as the bare minimum needed to earn a sufficient income
to
> live in a Habitat. Will you be able to live without gardeners,
> waiters, day care center workers, office clerks, sales clerks,
> cashiers, bagboys, roofers, dental hygenists, elder care workers,
> cooks, tailors, barbers, manicurists, etc.
we
> have on Earth will necessarily translate well into orbit. Let's
say,
> and I know it's a stretch, but for some reason robotics can never
> master the task of cutting human hair. People will have the choice
> of being known as a civilization with the ugliest haircuts in the
> solar system or they could train some barbers. However, the
barbers
> will have to earn the equivalent of an engineer in order to forego
> the other opportunities available to them and to be able to
achieve
> the barest minimum living standard. It may be the norm to pay $80
> dollars for a haircut compared to {fill in the blank} that you pay
> here on Earth.
>
> Anyone want to elaborate on these principles?
>
> TangoMan
Perhaps the employment situation could allow for people to work two
jobs, so that the engineers and other highly trained workers double
as barbers and waiters and such on a part-time basis?
a lot of service jobs i believe will be eliminated. you have a buffet, you don't need a waiter. if most cleaning is automated,people will do more interesting stuff. b f skinner in walden 2 had people working according to the job's desireability. you had to spend more time baking pie's, less time cleaning public toilets. maybe jobs where you put on a spacesuit would be the choice jobs. could be like a chinese restraunt, i'll take 10 hrs. from column A 30 hrs from column B. working in space, there's a discussion. not even scratching the idea of labor unions, office politics... doesn't this open a can of worms.
or perhaps "hobby" dedications on the side of the professional one... like electrical engineer with a hobby of baking chocolate pastries, what ever is needed to enhance the quality of life issues...
there yougo! you know we are talking about everyone having a passion for what they do. who would want to be know for average chocolate pastries chef, they would start questioning your electrical engineering ability.
there yougo! you know we are talking about everyone having a passion for what they do. who would want to be know for average chocolate pastries chef, they would start questioning your electrical engineering ability.