Previous year questions on alienation
1.critically assess the marxian theory of Alienation. 2020/10M. 1994/60M
2.according to Marx, how are human beings alienated from thier human potential and what does he suggest to change this. 2018/20M
3.identify the similarities and differences between Marx thoery of alienation and durkheim theory of anomie. 2014/20M
4.sometimes workers do not feel attachment for thier work. Marx formed a theory for this situation, discuss that theory. 2012/20M
5.how does Marx treatment of alienation differ from that of other Sociologist. 1990/60M
6.alienation in developing societies. 1984/20M
Alienation refers as a feeling of powerlessness, meaninglessness and estrangement as a result of being unable to find fulfilment in one's work.Alienation at work was described by Marx in the 1840s, but continues to be relevant today. The industrial revolution forced people into unfulfilling factory jobs that estranged them. The problem persisted into the 20th and 21st centuries.
Factors lead alienation at work place in the modern society.
1.Low autonomy jobs ( prior to industrialization work was more creative and flexible Ex: craftspeople but factory workers had no control over the process, work hours or the final product )
2.Division of labour ( workers became estranged from employers due to class division and competition that replaced collaboration. Ex: achivement based promotion and performance appraisal )
3.Displacement of certain skills ( Braverman says reducing the skills needed by workers to do thier jobs making them less valuable and leading to further disempowerment. Technology has displaced certain skills and created new one )
4.Automation of manual labour (technological advancement)
5.Dehumanization of work and workers by the capitalist system. ( He believed that work was dehumanised and no longer offered enjoyment of self-realisation )
6.Routinization of alienation :- as an outcome of repression in the context of industrial society where instrumentals and and separation become the substance of social relations.
Four aspects of alienation:
1.Alienation from product of labor: The product of labor becomes an alien object that workers do not control and that comes to rule over them.
2.Alienation from process of labor: In the process of labor, humans must suppress thei unique human qualities as potentially free producers and subordinate themselves to external control. Labor becomes merely a means to an end, rather than a means of self development and an end in itself.
3. Alienation from other workers: workers relate to others workers not as full human beings but as means to an end and as competitors for their jobs
4.Alienation from human "species being": workers suppress their unique human capacities for self-expression through creative labor, i.e., they suppress what distinguishes them as a species from other animals.
Other contemporary thinkers on alienation
1.Max Weber says that over bureacuratization of society leads to alienation as man is guided by fixed rules and his creativity is suffocated.
2.Emile durkheim had highlighted that anomie and alienation can be corrected by existing structure also and there is no need for overhaul of the system in the form of utopian communism
3.C W mills in his study of middle class entitled white collar 1951 it is not just the working class that suffers alienation, but white collared staff also witeness alienation, even white collar staff also assume a flase personality at work in terms of fake smiles, artificial politeness etc.
4.karl popper says that alienation can be a breeding ground for creative ideas also similary Merton also states that peope may Rebel and innovative if they feel alienated.
5.herbert marcuse believed that non creativity leads to alienation but he criticised Marx for merely favouring the proletariats. He believed that alienation will occur among the capitalist also because of the non-creativity of thier work
6.Melvin M seeman did not agree with Karl Marx. He believed that alienation is an individualistic phenomenon ratht than depending upon the system. He tried to broaden the scope of the term alienation he included anomiea as manifestation of alienation.
7.braverman argue that new technology also helps to de-alienation through the interactive nature of internet that produces new opportunities.( Ex: social media ) but Contemporary critics argue that new technologies create "novel forms of alienation" and take alienation to the next level)
8.sociologist blunter says greater automation in work would lead to a decline of alienation as there would be less dull, routine work and people could concentrate on more interesting and meaningful tasks.
However growing "polarisation of opportunities in the labour market,” with strong demand for both the highest (IT, engineering) and lowest-skill jobs (like food preparation, caregiving), but decreasing opportunities for those in between. This is accompanied by a widening income gap. This growing inequality and division of labour is reminiscent of the factors identified by Marx as contributing to alienation.
A recent study confirmed that the factors contributing to alienation today are similar to those 150 years ago and linked to the commodification of workers by the capitalist system
Similarities and differences between marx theory of alienation and durkheim theory of anomie.
alienation is a feeling of separation or estrangement and anomie means normlessness or structural inadequacy of existing social institutions.
the specialized division of labour and rapid expansion of industrial society , capitalism is the reason behind both alienation and anomie, both anomie and alienation make people unhappy and both are harmful to the society and its members. Thus both anomie and alienation are rooted in the economic changes in the industrial society and both concept are used to explain the social structure of formative capitalism.
Difference between anomie and alienation
Similarities between anomie and alienation
1.both have origin in morden industrial society and is side effect of growth concept of industrial society.
2.alienation is based on conflict between social order and man which is similar to the anomie situation.
3.both concepts are individualistic in nature as there is no collective tendency of being alienate or anomie.
4.alienation and anomie are condition in which individual is apart from self , and is in realisation process.
5.alienation and anomie are subjective in its interpretation as there is no way to calculate that how much one is alienated or anomie
"ask your self after reading this will you explain the above previous year questions ?".
