Marxist and American Sociological Conceptions of Alienation: Implications for Social Problems Theory

Abstract

Analytic and normative properties of Marxist and American concepts of alienation are examined. The Marxist concept of alienation is dialectically related to economic structure and productive, self developing activities. A condition of alienation involves control over man and his development, as defined by a theory of human nature, by institutions and social processes of his own making. Marx's analysis of the dynamics of capitalism may be understood as an explanation of the social bases of alienation in capitalist societies. Control is viewed as objective by the observer employing a theory of human nature and is not necessarily identical to the consciousness of the actors. Explicit and implicit normative properties of the two conceptions are examined in terms of their analytic implications. Implications for social problems theory include the desirability of further analysis of the consciousness of actors and researchers as elements of social processes involved in social phenomena, the necessity of certain value judgments, the treatment of power and control, and attention to work as a social problem.