'The affluent worker in the class structure': de verburgerlijking van de arbeider opnieuw bezien

Samenvatting

Concern here is with an investigation on the behavior of "affluent workers" conducted in the early '60's by J. H. Goldthorpe, D. Lockwood, F. Bechhofer, & J. Platt (THE AFFLUENT WORKER, Cambridge U Press, 1968-1969). The political & industrial situation of workers was examined & an attempt was made to determine whether an increasing prosperity induced the workers' embourgeoisement. The elected strategy was to find & examine a critical case, which was found to be an impossible task. The doubtful character of Marx's "embourgeoisement thesis" & the lack of evidence are indicated. Various shortcomings of the Cambridge investigation are pointed out, & an attempt is made to reformulate the "embourgeoisement thesis." I. Verluyten.