Ishan BhatnagarAIR 5 · CSE 2025 · 183 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a definition
Marx posited that the perversion of work in capitalism where work is undertaken not for the objectification of human needs and creative drives but for the profit of capitalists leads to alienation, for disconnectedness.
Body · points
Applicability to contemporary workspaces
From the product of work | Increasing automation and fragmentation of supply chains creates a distance between the person and the product.
From the process of production | Blauner points out the increase in technical advancement can lead to alienation in industries such as automobiles.
From fellow workers | Through flexi-work arrangements, gig economy, and increased mobility and uncertainty -> leading to white collar alienation.
From the self | C.W. Mills pointed out that white collar employees in the personality market must inauthentically express emotions, hiding their true self from others. This eventually leads to alienation from the self and one's own emotions.
Close
However, rise of welfare capitalism, focus on work-life balance, monetization of passion-projects via attention economy are some trends.
Nonetheless, Jean Baudrillard's hyperreality, and Bruns's Produsage show how modern white collar processes in digital media continue to promote alienation.