Similarities Between Braverman And Hochschild

734 Words3 Pages

Marx proposed the theory of “objective alienation” that influenced Braverman’s and Hochschild’s notions of alienation. Currently, alienation is often defined as a psychological state of mind ("subjective alienation"). Contrarily, Marx had a theory of “objective alienation.” Though similarly resulting in powerlessness, subjective and objective alienation are different in their causes and outcomes, with Marx arguing that capitalism per se creates objective alienation due to its oppressive production systems and dehumanizing effects. Braverman and Hochschild draw from objective alienation by criticizing the underlying system that produces and reinforces it, while Hochschild adds the concept of emotional labor as another aspect of alienation. …show more content…

On the one hand, subjective alienation is not dependent on the socioeconomic system but on how a person feels regarding his/her conditions. A worker can feel subjective alienation because of the numerous tasks and responsibilities that disable him to enjoy his work. On the contrary, objective alienation happens only during capitalist commodity production when exchange relations separate production from consumption and the product attains a life of its own, separate from the producer, and then oppresses the worker as an alien force (Barbalet, 1983, p. 95). Due to alienation, workers are dehumanized as they lose their creative power and turn into mere extensions of the machines they are using (Barbalet, 1983, p. 95). Workers could not recognize their alienation at first unless they are educated to examine their objective conditions. According to Marx, there are three aspects of alienation. First, workers are alienated from their products. Their products are made for the profiteering ends of the capitalists and not for their own self-advancement. Second, workers are alienated from their labor because they do not control the process of production. The bourgeoisie control the organization and work conditions. The division of labor enhances the alienation of their labor too. Third, alienation dehumanizes people by taking away their capacity to be productive on their own. They are alienated when they are seen as part of