The Urban Alienations: Some Dubious Theses from Marx to Marcuse (1971)

Four widely accepted propositions, concerning four types of alienation (self-estrangement, feelings of powerlessness, social isolation, and cultural estrangement), are reviewed in the light of evidence from studies conducted in the United States, France, and Sweden. The propositions in question emphasize (a) the personal and social consequences of modern alienated labor, (b) the coherence of various forms of alienation (i.e., their typical appearance as a syndrome), (c) the lack of community in urban society, and (d) the breakdown of commonly held values in metropolitan life. In each case, the evidence provokes serious doubt about the established wisdom concerning alienation.