Social Science in Buisness: Surviving Progress or The Corporation

Capitalist Division of Labor
Student’s Name
Institution
Capitalist Division of Labor
In a political and economic system where the industries and means of production are under the control of private owners, profitability is the main focus. According to Braverman (1974/1998), social division of labor has been common throughout the history of human beings, unlike the capitalist division of labor, which is a recent phenomenon. This paper focuses on Braverman’s view of capitalism. The paper begins by differentiating detailed division of labor from the social division of labor and goes to explain how workers are oppressed under the capitalist society. The paper also examines the Babbage Principle and how it relates to ‘degradation of work’. Finally, the paper shows how Elmer Rice’s play illustrates the life under capitalism as described by Braverman. It is the argument of the paper that capitalist division of work only favors the interests of the few elites who have power, wealth, and control at the expense of workers.
Social division of labor differs significantly from detailed division of labor. According to Braverman (1974/1998), involves social division of labor into crafts. In this sense, there is no further subdivision of the crafts. Braverman points out that while men and women may be connected in the development of particular products, there is no rule in place that seeks to divide the operations involved in the making of each product. This form of division of labor, according to Braverman, is a feature of all societies in the history of human beings. One community can focus on the production of a product which it has a comparative advantage in. As informed by Elwell (2013), the social division of labor is a significant factor in dictating technological development rate, the extent of socio-cultural cohesion and solidarity, and the degree of inequality and stratification. A significant feature of the social division of labor is that one community can specialize in the production of a particular product and then exchange with another community that specializes in the production of another. The operations involved in the creation of the products, in this case, cannot be subdivided. This can be advantageous in the sense that it members of a community or a group can focus on producing a product in the best possible way. However, too much dependency on a particular product can be disastrous in the case it becomes replaced or extinct.
On the other hand, there is the detailed division of labor, which is a completely different phenomenon. According to Braverman, this detailed division of labor involves the breaking down of the operations involved in the making of a product such that each part can be done by different workers. An aspect that sets aside the detailed division of labor from the social division of labor is the productivity. The process of making products often involves numerous operations. When one man performs all the operations, the productivity is low. However, if each of the operations involved in making the products is divided among many workmen, a significant increase in productivity occurs. As informed by Elwell (2013), the high level of productivity that comes with detailed ...