[lbo-talk] Time Use studies

Tayssir John Gabbour tayssir.john at googlemail.com
Sat Mar 24 18:45:53 PDT 2007


On 3/24/07, Miles Jackson <cqmv at pdx.edu> wrote:
> James Heartfield wrote:
> > The difference between the working class and the
> > professional-managerial class as far as working hours goes, is
> > that the latter control their working environment, and so are at
> > liberty to hang out there, as they are pleased to.
>
> I have a hard time believing James has ever worked in the
> professional/managerial class if he thinks they "control their
> working environment".

I agree that part sounds overstated... but overall his general point is accurate in my personal experience. As far as I know, the professional/managerial class generally does exert workplace control far, far beyond the working class people I know.

I just visited a small European software company, where people were maybe "underpaid" relative to market value, but nevertheless everyone had pricey Aeron chairs, big LCD monitors, surrounded by the newest games (they did a lot of gaming business), etc. Copies of Playboy and Maxim on the tables among other pop technofetish rags like Wired... even though they had a female coworker. (Dunno what's up with that, if anything.)

We can discuss the lines of hierarchy there, and I think it's kinda interesting to do so. Soft methods of subordination. But whatever the case, it's nowhere near as mentally destructive as (say) even relatively comfortable service sector working-class jobs I know about. I personally don't know many programmers who need to veg out in front of a TV. Some like to stay at the office to escape home or whatever. Whereas working-class people are often pissed off about spending 5 extra minutes at work because whatshisface didn't come early enough.

Incidentally, working class people might find Jeff Schmidt's _Disciplined Minds_ useful and entertaining, to get a feel for the forces and constraints shapes this class... <http://disciplined-minds.com/>

Tayssir



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