Synonyms
Definition
Alienation refers to the social phenomenon where people are dominated by forces of their own creation, yet may fail to recognize their own authorship relative to institutions and processes at hand. The reification of these social constructs contributes to human alienation in all spheres of life. From a classical conflict perspective, alienation is to be found in all major institutions that comprise the superstructure of capitalist societies (e.g., religion, family, the state and state functions) and political economy. As Marx writes, “Objectification is the practice of alienation” (Marx in Bottomore 1963: 39).
Description
Unlike more contemporary usages wherein alienation (and powerlessness and normlessness) are framed in more social psychological terms, classical conflict approaches to alienation frame the concept firmly in the relationship of people to their work and the extent to which they have...
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Notes
- 1.
For a discussion of this theme, see Tolman (1981).
- 2.
See Tucker’s (1978) excellent edited volume The Marx-Engels Reader for a fine collection Marx’s writings on these themes.
- 3.
This is paraphrased from Marx’s essay A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right in Tucker (1978). See the edited volume, On Religion for an extended discussion of religion in the writings of Marx and Engels.
- 4.
See, for example, Archibald’s (1989) Marx and the Missing Link: “Human Nature.”
- 5.
I am indebted here to Seeman (1959) however take considerable liberty with his original framing.
- 6.
See Rodman and Rodman (1991). In The Court of the Rainmaker: The Willing Deviant in Longana, Vanuatu.
- 7.
- 8.
Durkheim wrote book reviews of Guyau’s work that predate his own classics sourced above.
- 9.
- 10.
See, for example, Michaelson et al. (2014).
References
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Grills, S. (2017). Alienation. In: Poff, D., Michalos, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Business and Professional Ethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23514-1_21-1
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