The debate around alienation. New perspecitves and applications between sociology and philosophy

• In Event: 50660 - Section on Marxist Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 2: Marxist Theory

Abstract

In 2011, Marcello Musto undertook the editorial work of a volume aimed at reinterpreting Marx and various Marxist traditions in light of different schools of thought and recent transformations in the labor market. Notably, it was during the 1950s that Marx’s concept of alienation forcefully entered North American sociological thought, not as a framework for collective practices aimed at transforming society, but rather as a means of analyzing individual adaptation to the existing social order (Musto, 2011: 327-328). At the same time, the debate initiated within the American Sociological Review and the arguments presented by its key contributors (Seeman, 1959; Nettler, 1973) reveal a clear divergence in the interpretation of class. For American sociologists, the concept required stratification based on context and its specific applications, whereas for European scholars, class remained an essential element in any form of analysis (Giddens, 1975: 21). Considering this dichotomy in thought, along with its specific historical and disciplinary foundations—as well as the various definitions of alienation that emerged over time—it becomes evident that the discussions within the American Sociological Review highlighted both the necessity and the attempt to propose an empirical investigation into alienation and its characteristics within the labor market. Despite interdisciplinary critiques and controversies (Braverman, 1974; Schacht, 1970), the discourse on forms of alienation has managed to bridge the gap between Marx’s early writings and his analysis in the Gründrisse, ultimately serving as a key analytical tool for examining labor transformations in the era of digital transition (Rosa, 2013, 2022). This study, therefore, aims to reconstruct the debate and outline new perspectives on the study of alienation, demonstrating how it constitutes a crucial phenomenon in the emergence of new forms of digital labor and remains a pivotal instrument for sociological analysis.

Author

• Eugenio Capitani, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia