The Salaried Masses: Duty and Distraction in Weimar Germay

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Study by an Underrated Social Critic
Review: Kracauer's "Salaried Masses", finally translated after seventy years, is a fascinating study of Weimar society, with a particular emphasis on the workforce and the dynamics between employers and workers. This analysis, along with his collection of essays entitled "The Mass Ornament", shows a side of Kracauer that surfaces only occasionally in his more popular works like "From Caligari to Hitler", a side that is highly critical of social institutions, especially those structured upon a fascist hierarchy. His discussion on the tactics employers use to train and pacify workers is outstanding (early secretaries were taught to type with the rhythm of music coming from a phonograph; the corporate "trainers" slowly increased the speed of the record until the women were typing with sufficient speed). The role of company-sponsored sports or recreational events (baseball, picnics, etc.) does not escape scrutiny and it's amazing how relevant much of this material is in today's corporate-dominated culture. It's a brief and highly-engrossing read that anyone interested in the functions of social institutions should enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Study by an Underrated Social Critic
Review: Kracauer's "Salaried Masses", finally translated after seventy years, is a fascinating study of Weimar society, with a particular emphasis on the workforce and the dynamics between employers and workers. This analysis, along with his collection of essays entitled "The Mass Ornament", shows a side of Kracauer that surfaces only occasionally in his more popular works like "From Caligari to Hitler", a side that is highly critical of social institutions, especially those structured upon a fascist hierarchy. His discussion on the tactics employers use to train and pacify workers is outstanding (early secretaries were taught to type with the rhythm of music coming from a phonograph; the corporate "trainers" slowly increased the speed of the record until the women were typing with sufficient speed). The role of company-sponsored sports or recreational events (baseball, picnics, etc.) does not escape scrutiny and it's amazing how relevant much of this material is in today's corporate-dominated culture. It's a brief and highly-engrossing read that anyone interested in the functions of social institutions should enjoy.