Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber How Work Got So Bad
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Mar 4, 2026 A deep dive into why labor-saving tech often makes work worse. They trace Braverman’s argument about managers breaking down skilled work to gain control. The conversation covers de-skilling, Taylorism, alienation, and how productivity gains get captured by employers. They end by exploring democratic alternatives for using productivity to reduce work and restore worker control.
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Braverman Updated Marx For Modern Work
- Harry Braverman turned Marx's labor process ideas into a theory showing modern management's goal is to control workers' skills.
- His 1974 Labor and Monopoly Capital created labor process studies by tracing managerial efforts to politicize workplace control.
Control Is The Other Half Of Technological Change
- Capital adopts new technology to boost profits but must also control workers so tech investments aren't wasted.
- Managers fear workers will use, sabotage, or resist technology, so control becomes central to tech deployment.
Formal Ownership Vs Real Control Of Work
- Marx distinguished formal from real control: employers may own production formally but workers still control the actual work via their skills.
- Skilled artisans set pace and quality, so employers must 'crack the shell' to really control output.
