Discussion: Classical & Contemporary Sociological Theory

Respond to the following student responses provided based on the following Prompt 1  (Each Response should be 137 words)

Prompt:
Do you agree with Marx that the process of alienation occurs among workers?  Has digital technology exacerbated the process of alienation among some workers?  Think of specific examples.  Do you agree that individuals a species being?  What type of economic system would allow humans to best realize their species-being?
Student Response 1:
I do not feel this is a yes or no answer, it depends more on the context of how someone perceives it.  Regarding alienation of the worker from their product I do not feel that is entirely accurate, if so, no new products would ever be produced.  Man, daily strives to create new objects that are bigger and better products, or smaller and sleeker.  Case in point, the camcorder, when I was growing up most camcorders were the size of a briefcase held on someones shoulder, today for $1000, you anyone can own a camcorder small enough to fit in your hand.  Music is the same way, I have Bluetooth ear buds that I pop in when I go to the gym, (telling my age here) but I had a Walkman when I was younger with a wired cord for both a cassette player and for a simple radio.  So, in that aspect no I do not agree that Marx was correct, situationally http://72.15.246.183/pasquotankncnw/images/homepagewatermark.jpgcorrect maybe but not completely.  As for alienation of the worker from other workers yes, I believe that is correct.  I believe everyone has experienced this, working harder, being more productive than the next person to stand out for recognition and reward so not to blend in with the crowd.  This is a dual edge sword, when management views you as expendable they have a tendency of treating you as such, when you stand out and separate yourself from the pack not only do you receive recognition for your determination, but also soak up the spotlight when punitive actions are being handed down also.  Each economic system is slightly flawed, but I would suggest either Traditional or Market.  Traditional would be beneficial because it would require people to become self-sufficient and stop looking for handouts, geologically this would not be sufficient as obtaining foreign goods would take forever to get.  A market economy provides services and goods through supply and demand, self-explanatory.  Consequently, where both falls short is, there are many people in every country that rely heavily on command economics.  Welfare and unemployment are examples of this where people are heavily dependent on the government for their daily life.  Devils advocate side of this is, there are many people, who without a heavily structured and guiding invisible hand, would fall into anarchy.  So I honestly believe parts of all three are needed, or at bare minimum a hybrid that incorporates certain measures from all three and disregards the negatives, I dont think we will see an economic structure like that in this lifetime. 

Student Response 2
I can agree with Marx that the employee can become a commodity and can be the worst kind of commodities. Employees are seen as replaceable. Employees are not seen as a valuable commodity. Ive heard a saying that if you leave there are five more to replace you. This is detrimental to the employees mental health and loyalty to a business since they are so eagerly ready to replace them. With an employee unhappy to be working then the employee can distant themselves and feel alienated from the work. The employee is then disgruntled and can ruin the mind by constantly being so unhappy all the time. Technology has alienated human more than just in the workplace especially since the nation being under quarantine during the corona outbreak. We rely on technology for everything now. There is no human interaction. We can order food, groceries, clothing, and everything in between to have it delivered to our homes and never actually connect or have a conversation with another human being. I can agree that individuals can possess their species-being. If a person has located their passion in life and make a living doing that passion then the person has found their species-being. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *