GS 221 Work and Society week 2.2 Dr. Haydar Badawi Sadig

Classical Theories on work Part 3 Classical Theories on work Dr. Haydar

Karl Marx (1818-1883) A founder of conflict school in sociology: Concerned with social fragmentation, disintegration and conflict 穆斯林团结 经典难题 台湾 A founder of structural school in sociology: class Dr. Haydar

Marx on Work Ideal work: self-realization through work no matter what kind of work it is Work is a source of anti-humanism, the origin of alienation and exploitation. Dr. Haydar

Marx: Objectification and Alienation Objectification: the means by which people appropriate the natural world, and produce useful objects. (involves the creative capacities of individuals. ) Alienation: the transformation of people’s own labor into a power which rules them as if by a kind of natural or supra-human law. Or, the separation of things that naturally belong together, or to put antagonism between things that are properly in harmony. Dr. Haydar

Marx: Exploitation Exploitation = disequilibrium between work and wages = value of labor added to the product – wage = invisible surplus value taken by capitalist Dr. Haydar

Marx: Working conditions under early capitalism Workers must do detailed work Separation of mental and manual labor. Monotony of repeated tasks Labor not creative but merely concerned with possession Dr. Haydar

Marx: Type I Alienation Workers are alienated from the products they make. Since the products are appropriated by the capitalist class, the commodities produced are no longer in the control of the worker. And the more things the worker produces, the less value they have—and thus the value of the work decreases.  Dr. Haydar

Marx: Type II Alienation Workers are alienated from their own work . Work is supposed to be human nature, however, under capitalism, work turns out to be coercive commodity paid for in abstract. The alienation from the act of production itself (deviates from human nature), such that work comes to be a meaningless activity, offering little or no intrinsic satisfactions. (forced labor, not voluntary, to satisfy others external to worker) Dr. Haydar

Marx: Type III Alienation Humans are alienated (estranged) from other humans because capitalism reduces labor to a commodity to be traded on the market, rather than a social relationship (social relationship changed into market relationship; competitors). Dr. Haydar

Marx: Type IV Alienation Worker are alienated from species-being or from humanity and human potential (Humans, unlike animals, have a consciousness and a will, they are self-conscious. This is the essence of humanity). Dr. Haydar

Outcomes of alienation the more the worker produces, the less he has to consume; the more value he creates, the more worthless he becomes; the more civilized his object, the more barbarous the worker; the more powerful the work, the more powerless the worker; the more intelligent the work, the duller the worker and the more he becomes a slave of nature. Dr. Haydar

Alienation in new era! Google headquarter Aramco and KFUPM Dr. Haydar

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