This is of course correct. But the fact remains that more privileged workers are more likely to support the system and sell out other workers. As a group, privleged workers display different behaviour than other workers and tend to share similar priorities - which is very similar to a class. It’s a distinction that’s both completely illusory and also meaningful.
As a group, privleged workers display different behaviour than other workers and tend to share similar priorities - which is very similar to a class.
Exactly.
And as the nature of the typical job changed - from industrial and agricultural line work to office, sales, and service sector work - we experienced a boom in the Professional Managerial Class. The advent of the business school, the consultant class, and modern middle management created a workforce whose job revolved around surveilling and expropriating additional labor from ground level workers.
Graeber explorers this more fully in “Bullshit Jobs”. But there’s a real material schism between workers performing real value-add labor and workers who exist largely to steal or extort from one another.
It’s been fascinating seeing tech workers being reminded that they are working class. They still haven’t achieved class consciousness yet, but I remain hopeful…
This is of course correct. But the fact remains that more privileged workers are more likely to support the system and sell out other workers. As a group, privleged workers display different behaviour than other workers and tend to share similar priorities - which is very similar to a class. It’s a distinction that’s both completely illusory and also meaningful.
Exactly.
And as the nature of the typical job changed - from industrial and agricultural line work to office, sales, and service sector work - we experienced a boom in the Professional Managerial Class. The advent of the business school, the consultant class, and modern middle management created a workforce whose job revolved around surveilling and expropriating additional labor from ground level workers.
Graeber explorers this more fully in “Bullshit Jobs”. But there’s a real material schism between workers performing real value-add labor and workers who exist largely to steal or extort from one another.
It’s been fascinating seeing tech workers being reminded that they are working class. They still haven’t achieved class consciousness yet, but I remain hopeful…
There is definitely solidarity within profession groups. Class consciousness in a Marxist sense is a myth. Everyone just pulls in its own direction.
They also, plenty of the time, have capital that’s a large part of how they are supporting themselves/lifestyle (or how they will shortly).