Harry Braverman on the working class and structural transformations of twentieth century society

This article is devoted to the work of the American scientist Harry Braverman. The relevance of the article is due, firstly, to the transformation of the system of social stratification occurring in American society in the middle of the twentieth century, as well as the search for relevant approaches for its study. Secondly, the fact that Russian sociology does not pay enough attention to Braverman’s unique contribution to the development of the theory of social structure, his active participation in the current scientific discussion on the working class. The American sociologist investigated the problems of transformation of the working class, its place in the system of stratification and its role in the development of society. Braverman is often called a Marxist, and interest in his work is often interrupted. His vision of the social structure of American society is distinguished by originality and is based on extensive personal work experience. An American sociologist studied labor relations, which he observed directly in the labor process. One of the tasks set by the author of the article is to consider the heuristic potential of one of the approaches known in world sociology to the study of social stratification. Harry Braverman significantly contributed to the fact that the sociological explanation of the system of social stratification is transformed in the second half of the twentieth century. He took part in a scientific discussion on structural transformations taking place in the middle part of the stratification system of American society. Braverman criticized the emerging theories of the “new middle class”, contrasting them with his concept of the “new working class”. Braverman to a certain extent developed K. Marx’s theory of alienation, supplemented it taking into account the current stage of the development of capitalism. The author of the article made an attempt to trace the research logic of the American sociologist, as well as to show his success in carrying out an accurate and detailed revision of the production process at the time of its next acute crisis, which was certainly a great contribution to the development of Marxist theory, taking into account modern realities, which made it possible to move forward.

1. Baturenko S.A. Sovremennyj rabochij klass v Rossii: problema social’noj integracii [The Modern Working class in Russia: the problem of social integration] // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Serija 18. Sociologija i politologija. 2011. N 4. P. 37–45 (in Russian).

2. Bell D. The end of ideology. N.Y., 1960.

3. Bell D., Inozemcev V.L. Jepoha razobshhennosti: Razmyshlenija o mire XXI veka. [The Era of Disunity: Reflections on the world of the XXI century]. M., 2007 (in Russian).

4. Blanner R. Alienation and Freedom. Chicago; L., 1964.

5. Bocharov V.Ju. Trudovye otnoshenija rossijskoj rabochej molodezhi klientskogo servisa [Labor relations of the Russian working youth of the customer service] // Social’no-trudovye issledovanija. 2022. N 1 (46). P. 177–186 (in Russian).

6. Braverman H. Labour and monopoly capital: the degradation of work in the twentieth century. N.Y., 1974.

7. Braverman H. Marx in the modern world // American Socialist. 1958. May.

8. Braverman H. The future of Russia. N.Y., 1966.

9. Braverman H. The making of the US working class // Monthly Review. 1994. Vol. 46. N 6. P. 14–35.

10. Braverman H. Work and unemployment // Monthly Review. 1975. Vol. 27. N 2. P. 18–31.

11. Corey L. The crisis of the middle class. N.Y., 1935.

12. Gorz A. Farewell to the working class: an essay on post-industrial socialism. Boston, 1987.

13. Kuznecov A.E. Proizvodja razdor: Braverman, Buravoj, Klark [Making analysis: Braverman, Drilling, Clark] // Social’nye i gumanitarnye nauki: teorija i praktika. 2018. Vyp. 1 (2). P. 379–391 (in Russian).

14. Mallet S. The new working class. Nottingham, 1975.

15. Mills C.W. White Collar. N.Y., 1951.

16. Poljakova N.L. Ot trudovogo obshhestva k informacionnomu: zapadnaja sociologija ob izmenenii social'noj roli truda. [From labor society to information society: Western sociology on the changing social role of labor]. M., 1990 (in Russian).

17. Poljakova N.L. XX vek v sociologicheskih teorijah obshhestva. [The twentieth century in the sociological theories of society]. M., 2004 (in Russian).

18. Poljakova N.L. Trud v sociologicheskoj teorii [Labor in sociological theory] // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Serija 18. Sociologija i politologija. 2004. N 2. P. 130–148 (in Russian).

19. Radaev V.V., Shkaratan O.I. Social’naja stratifikacija. [Social stratification] M., 1996 (in Russian).

20. Smirnov V.Je. “Nepopuljarnyj klass” v sovremennom “obshhestve znanija” [The “unpopular class” in the modern “knowledge society”] // Sociologija. 2013. N 4. P. 107–115 (in Russian).