Question

In Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844, Marx discusses the concept of alienation (also known as estrangement). Identify and describe the four types of alienation discussed. Using information from Rethinking Modern Alienation in McDonald’s Window Workers (Li 2009), discuss how these forms of alienation relate to the service industry.

Answer 1

The Four types of Alienation as per Karl Marx are as follows:-

(A) Product of labor

As the producer does'nt own the product which he manufactures, the individual is said to be alienated from those products. It is owned and disposed by the bourgeoisie thus he cannot own the things that he produces himself. It is supposed that he is paid the minimum wage and his return is significantly low which marks the worker's exploitation.

(B) Act of producing

It is supposed that the workers donot have any control over tghe proces of production. It is the bourgeoisie who determines the work conditions. Under this the individual is not taken under considerations.The division of labor further aggravates this alienation.

(C) As a producer

According to Marx, the ability which we have through which we can conciously shape things around is what makes us humun.

The kind of work thatb that the individual is made to do has no correlation with jis interest or passion. The wealth created is owned by the bourgeoisie. This hinders individual's abilityb to determine his actions.

(D) From other workers

Under capitalism, the worker is always as an entity which can be used and traded to maximize production and profits. Workers are supposed to experience cut throat competitionto get the maximum wages possible from the bourgeoisie, who tries to get the maximum labourer from the worker. This alienation also arises from the class structure and division in the society.

# CAse study of Mcdonalds.

Mcdonalds management style is obviously designed to keep workers' morale high, a goal that seems favourable for both the cooperation and the workers. The sense of inner conflict is no surprise to anyone who has ever held a job. Alienated fro, thei works Mcdonads window workers neverthless manage to cope by carving and filling small inches of contentment.

The Mcdonalds window worker are trained in routinesthat encompass every aspect of their work. The work is so hectic that we can understand why it is a topic of so much dissatisfaction among the workers. This constant stress in the process of labor contributes to alienating workers from man's species being and his fellow members.

Even in workers normally tranquil relationships with one another , the intersects of managements can cause tension to spring up.

# Alienation , in the Marxoist sense is therefore not merely an emotion that an be expressed , nut a changed and disconnectedv relation to oneself and to the world.