"Occupational structure and alienation"
by Kohn, M L (1976)
Abstract
This paper appraises two related hypotheses suggested by Marx's analysis of the occupational sources of alienation-one emphasizing control over the product of one's labor, the other emphasizing con- trol over the work process. Using data from a sample survey of U.S. males employed in civilian occupations, it concludes that, in this large-scale, capitalist system, control over the product of one's labor (ownership and hierarchical position) has only an indirect effect on alienation, whereas control over work process (closeness of super- vision, routinization, and substantive complexity) has an appreciable direct effect on powerlessness, self-estrangement, and normlessness.
Key Passage
Work that is "external" to the worker, in which he cannot "fulfill him- self," comes close to being the opposite pole of what Schooler and I have called "self-directed" work-that is, work involving initiative, thought, and independent judgment (Kohn 1969, pp. 139-40; Kohn and Schooler 1973).
(p.112)
Keywords
Marx, Alienation, Organisational Structure, Organisational Theory, Hierarchy, Ownership, Psychology, CapitalismLinks to Reference
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/226272
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/990046
- https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/226272
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2777463.pdf?casa_token=tK-cG0KkjUgAAAAA:4O2iFxeosh20C7P88iu6jh0RAm5jgD1aWwqXSsnFBhzRRIWkdO-mP4A4OMgonJkenBemjhhwj74ZONoGUkIe6JOueHB1uJx1MJiQSbbE6rwjhY53mE241Q
Citation
Share
How to contribute.
