Outsourcing as symptomatic: class visibility and ethnic scapegoating in the US IT sector
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze recent debates about outsourcing in the USA, using examples from IT sector, especially in the context of India.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a critical commentary and uses methods based in rhetorical criticism.
Findings
The author argues that to fully understand the outsourcing issue, it has to be considered a symptomatic discourse rather than a causative one. Specifically, it is argued that the outsourcing debate in the context of IT work evidences class issues in as much as it involves white collar visibility. Moreover, the debate is also symptomatic of ethnic tensions in the form of ethnic scapegoating. Some implications of the debate are discussed.
Originality/value
The paper is of value to those interested in debates about outsourcing, and highlights the importance of a communication‐oriented perspective.
Keywords
Citation
Ganesh, S. (2007), "Outsourcing as symptomatic: class visibility and ethnic scapegoating in the US IT sector", Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 71-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/13632540710725996
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited