The Hidden Injuries of Class

by Jonathan Cobb, Jonathan Cobb

Social Studies, Economics

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction, Politics, Class, History, Philosophy, Economics

275 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is stunningly good – not least since it conforms with things I’ve been saying about social class for years, mostly based on my own experience. But this does so much more comprehensively than I have in the past and gives many additional examples that I hadn’t thought about that go to complicate, but also illuminate, what class alienation means and encourages.

The myth is that we live in a meritocracy and since we live in a meritocracy people who do not succeed have only themselves to blame – which they do and so we also live in a society that breeds status anxiety. People meant to succeed will – no matter what the obstacles they face (for isn’t that the meaning of the Helen Keller story?) and so our own failures to live up to our potential is a heavy burden we all, all but the very few, must live with.

Fortunately, even if we do not succeed we can do our best to make sure that our children get the opportunities we either did not get or squandered. We will make the necessary sacrifices, buy the Encyclopaedia (something that shows the age of this book – today I guess it is internet access and an iPad) and do all we can to keep our kids at school for as long as we can to give them the best chance we can so that they don’t end up like us.

And that last clause is, for me, the hidden injury of class in a nutshell. In a society that is as riven with class loathing as our society is the idea that the best we can do for our children is to ensure they don’t end up like us is unspeakably horrible. The working class in our society are not seen as having a culture that is different from the ruling class – rather, they are seen as being devoid of culture altogether. Ruling class culture is hegemonic and all-consuming and to lack in this culture is to be denied what it means to be human. This is a source of shame – one that is constantly used against the working class and not least by the working class themselves. Wanting more for one’s children is wanting to negate one’s self. How could that not be born of self-loathing?

The matter is made worse by the social condition of working class people in their work. Here they are without power or ability to decide anything about how they shall work – not the pace, quality, manner – nothing. To survive in such a working environment one must alienate one’s self from what one is forced to perform. There is a remarkable part of this book where a man has bought an encyclopaedia for his child and to pay off the many hundreds of dollars this has cost him he needs to work overtime. And the author considers the level of resentment the worker feels at having to do this overtime. One of the stunningly profound observations made is that what the workman probably resents the most about this situation is that this places too strong a connection between the two lives the workman needs to keep separate in his mind to avoid contaminating one with the other. Work is a loathsome place where he must go, and so he needs to place barriers around his true self as if to protect it from a great evil. Home is a space of love – and this forced linking of these two worlds (what De Bois refers to in a similar but different situation as double-consciousness) forces a kind of multiple personality disorder in the worker - a cognitive dissonance that is confused, but painful. That is, needing to spend more time at work. - in a place of loathing - so as to do something for one's child brings both worlds into collision.

The discussion of how people that are praised for their work are likely to perform worse afterwards also speaks to this idea of the alienation between ‘work’ and ‘life’ – or rather between work and one’s sense of self-worth. The irony being that being praise for being good at something you loath, something that diminishes your humanity (that is, like most work in modern society) can have the opposite of the intended effect.

The discussion on which jobs are most highly regarded is stunningly interesting - where jobs that you do not manage others, can be independent of them, but also do good (like a doctor) are the most highly esteemed, while the jobs with the most power (politician, banker, manager) are much less so.

The author discusses the horrors inflicted on working class children in schools and how their teachers are often overly efficient at communicating the message that they do not have what it takes to be successful learners. I've discussed this endlessly elsewhere, but these injuries are not nearly so hidden.

The thing I’m most likely to take away from this book is the double nature of the notion of sacrifice developed here – sacrifice as a way of allowing one’s children an escape route from the indignities of class but also how this is a kind of sacrificing of one’s own identity and self-worth. The obligations this sacrifice places on the children, obligations to success that the actual rules of the society are virtually designed to ensure will never be realised, makes these sacrifices tragic in all senses. Here parents sacrifice their own happiness in the hope their children will become something other than what they themselves are, only for their children to become, even if successful, alienated from both the world of their parents and from the world of the class their parents hoped they would be welcomed into. If the children fail the sacrifices become even more meaningless. Like today, the promise of education of providing access to higher social classes evaporates as soon as it appears to come within grasp. This book provides a clear view into the injuries too often hidden by our individualised society that personalises social harms.

[Christy Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books about socio-economic class and how it punishes the poor psychologically through blame and shame as belief in the meritocracy means that it's up to them. Sometimes I share the Disneyland song of the The Achieving Society adding one line, but also acknowledging the modern contradiction that as parents we encourage our children to "get ahead" although we know it's more social structural than individual achievement:
If you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are (or how much your parents make!)
Anything your heart desires, will come to you.

Herbert Gans essay on "The Positive Functions of Poverty" inMaking Sense of America: Sociological Analyses and Essays is the bookend to Sennett. Gans gives even more examples of why it's hard to end poverty (a relatively easy task in such a wealthy country) because of how we use it in our society to support many industries (pawn shops, multiple auto repair shops, liquor stores), middle-class poverty managers (case managers, etc.), as well as these psychological benefits (scapegoating, etc.) that Sennett documents.

[Sencer Turunç · Rating 5 out of 5]

Günümüzdeki aşağılanma rejimi eskisinden daha az zalim ama daha sinsidir diyor Senneth. Sınıflı bir toplum, insanların ürettikleri şeyin gereği olarak hak ettiklerini alamadıkları bir toplumdur; formül çok basit gibi görünebilir ama çarpıtılabilir, zira "hak etmek" ne demektir?

Çoğu birey için şimdiki amaç, mülk edinmek, sahip olmak, tahakküm etmek değil, maddi şeylerin karmaşık, alacalı, başkalarınca kolayca idrak edilemeyen bir içsel benlik yaratmaya yardımcı olmasıdır. Çünkü sadece böylesi bir psikolojik zırhla bir insan, sınıflı toplum koşullarında bir özgürlük oluşturmayı umut edebilir.

İnsanların sistematik olarak, istemsiz bir biçimde toplumsal yapının duygusal pençesinden kurtulmaya çalışırken tuttukları yol, bir bütün olarak sınıf düzenini sürdürür.

Kitabın sonuç bölümünden parçalarbı bunlar...

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic, essential piece of sociology exploring the meaning of class in everyday life in the context of a politics of post-war capitalism that accentuates the individual and individualism, along with the ideal that a lack of success is a personal failing. Historically aware - it may deal with the post-war USA but Sennett & Cobb's intellectual sophistication means that they are able to draw on rich insights from 19th and 20th century political, sociological and intellectual work, all in a book where learning and theory is lightly worn.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read this book twenty years ago I found it very powerful. It was recommended by a close friend, a physician and ABD (all but dissertation) sociologist who studied with Robert Merton. Probably not a word would be less valid today than then. Twenty years later I stand by giving it at least four stars.

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this now over-50-year-old sociology text (published 1972), American sociologists Richard Sennett and Jonathan Cobb undertook interviews of working class European-American men, mostly in their late 30s and early 40s, mostly in the Northeast US, and sought to derive insight about how the working class views themselves and their places in society. It's an interesting premise, though it does have a "kids gawking at strange animals during a zoo field trip" air about it (though looking at at least Sennett's background, he grew up working class in an urban housing project in Chicago to immigrant parents, not dissimilar to the book's subjects; he also trained under famed psychologist Erik Erikson who coined the life stages of model of psychosocial development, influences I perceived in this text).

I do think I derived some insights after reading this book into my immigrant blue collar dad's attitudes and value systems. My dad left school to start working full time at age 14, and always viewed my bookish inclinations and decades spent in school with a mix of skepticism ("but you're not really doing anything" - for him, work = physical labor with tangible results) and begrudging pride. Sennett and Cobb's observations about how many working class immigrants sacrifice considerably to allow their children to succeed academically and thus end up with Druckerian knowledge worker type jobs definitely resonated.

My statistics:
Book 74 for 2025
Book 2000 (!!) cumulatively

[Michelle Simoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. A lot of the stuff they talk about I feel all Americans expierence . Sacrificing for their young , along with never feeling fufilled at work . It’s interesting to see how the damages of class can also be mentally and socially and it’s interesting that it promotes individualism . Glad I read this , def a book I had to lock in for , I had to reread alot of pages to understand it .

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being published in 1972, this is an excellent examination of class attitudes -- complete with a helpful status ranking of all jobs near the end that delineates some key differences between status and income potential. Many workers, particularly the working-class, felt a clear status anxiety and uneasiness about their go nowhere jobs. So, in this sense, nothing has changed in the last five decades. What HAS changed is the manner in which Republicans have preyed upon these attitudes and manipulated them into voting more far-right parties. That aspect isn't explicitly mentioned by the two authors, to be clear. But it's clear as day that some GOP operatives obviously read these book and played on these sentiments -- which, yes, include some awful racist attitudes at times. Lipset's idea of "working-class authoritarianism" is also explored. That's basically a situation in which a worker, unable to see beyond his limited options and his fenced in station, starts losing his ability to look rationally at systems. And that's when an authoritarian sneaks in and grabs power. The two authors are quite fair-minded and gentle and stop short of accusing Lipset of elitism. But, hey, isn't that exactly what happened with the 2024 election? The Democrats are out of touch with the realities methodically unpacked in this fascinating volume. If you want to understand where we are today and you're too high and mighty to go out into the world and LISTEN to workers, at the very least read this book.

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps a bit dated, but every bit as relevant as it was when first published. Society still hasn't recognized the suffering imposed by the invisible class system that is still firmly in place. Please see more at: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.

[Irina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written. A revolutionary perspective, extremely relevant for our understanding of the current problems of economic and social inequality. The adapts of the ‘classless’ society and the economic liberalism under ‘new’ market economy did its best to bury this perspective alive.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though written some time ago (1972), this book and its commentary on class conflict remains very much valid and insightful today. And it helps make so much more sense of our current sociopolitical climate in 2020.

As much about individual and group psychology as it is sociology, I have to say that I found this book to be very thought provoking, intelligently written, and even challenging of my beliefs. For anyone who was brought up to believe that their pursuit of a college degree, career-track job, and aspirations to a prosperous American life were all matters of course, this is an eye-opener.

I'd also say that it's been challenging because the message is depressing. The authors very successfully call into question the American dream and how the concept of socioeconomic classes-- and how much the individual buys into it-- enslaves most people into its rigged system. The American Dream for the vast majority of people is just that-- a dream. A pipe dream, even. The system that dangles the carrot is only dangling it for its own survival and perpetuation. It doesn't give a damn about most of us. In fact, it invokes misery and angst in its aspirants and then uses those emotions against them to keep them striving and working for illusory goals that will always be out of their reach. As a social construct, 'class' is a very powerful and self perpetuating one.

I know that this all sounds pat to the Marxists out there, but the authors' use of excerpts from real-life interviews is so very effective and poignant in bringing these concepts to life for the reader in a very human way. These interviews even manage to evoke some sort of sympathy for even the most philistine and shallow traits brought out in the folk unwittingly trapped in ruthlessly aspirational, capitalist social systems.

I don't agree with previous reviews that complain about the relative lack of non-white and other minority groups in this book. Race as a factor is indeed considered at various times in the book, even if it does tend to focus on white immigrant and blue collar mindsets.

I'd argue that the socioeconomic dynamics of each racial/minority group are so distinct, dynamic, and complex that they could easily justify their own detailed studies and books, and indeed they have many, many times. By focusing on mainly one group- the white working class vis-a-vis the perceived 'elites' and how they aspire to that status-- it keeps the message directed and on point. In all fairness, it also serves to highlight the point that the white working class haven't always had it easy either.

But again, the message isn't pretty, and it's basically about man's nature to compare himself with others in his society. Couple that with elusive concepts and goals of respect, self-respect, and dignity, and you come away from this book feeling less in control of your own destiny, and more cognizant of the numerous societal and economic factors that, while effective in enforcing social order, effectively oppress the individual. This is even and often especially true within that person's extended family and neighborhood, which are paradoxically traditional bastions of safety and solace, yet, also eagerly escaped with dreams of upward mobility... all with often a healthy dose of guilt and shame.

Even the concept of individual freedom is reframed and undermined in ways that can all be traced back to the trap of "class" and class distinctions.

This is such a thought provoking if sobering read.

[David Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book is great as a historical look into what class looked like from the 1930s-1970s. There are also a lot of arguments, theories and information that are still relevant today. I especially enjoyed the stories of people who had moved between social classes and that they often have complicated senses of identities. Some of the information was thought provoking and I actually enjoyed that first half a lot. The reason I recommend only reading until the end of the chapter "sources of injury" is because it gets repetitive afterwards and the conclusion doesn't conclude or answer anything in a meaningful way.

While there are theories and life outlooks that are still relevant today, it's impossible to ignore how dated the book is. I was also unaware that the book would focus mostly on the USA, because I was hoping for a discussion of class in the UK or other countries too. We get a general sense of how the working class looks, so we can still apply what we learn in the USA to other countries, however, I would have preferred more mention of how other class systems work.

This book is only really on the working class. The authors don't take much time to explore the middle-class and don't speak to anyone at all from the upper-class. I accept the argument that it's the people lowest on the ladder who are most injured, however, that still means this book covers only part of the system it hopes to discuss. I admit that when I picked up the book, I thought that it would cover class in a more broad sense, so I was disappointed by this.

I disagree with a suggestion towards the end of the book that psychological compartmentalisation is a result of class. Everybody has different masks they wear, not just the working class. If every class has different masks for family, friends, work, etc, then that means it likely isn't a class problem. I also found it overcomplicated and patronising that the authors spent an entire mini-chapter confirming that the compartmentalisation they talk of isn't the same as schizophrenia. To distract us with such a detailed discussion on something irrelevant so close to the end of the book derails chain of thought and dilutes the message.

The connection with Nietzsche's theory that "power and love have wrongfully been separated in the modern world" is poor, because it doesn't fit well in context. It feels forced, like the authors are mentioning Nietzsche for the sake of it.

The conclusion of the book is all over the place. We've been focussing on the USA for almost the entire book and in the conclusion we're talking about the French Revolution, Russians, Cubans etc. Then it repeats several stories already told in previous pages. I found the conclusion aimless and to me, it answers nothing.

The final thing that bothered me is the writing. Sometimes, things are written in an unclear way and some sentences last entire paragraphs. It's not a difficult read but it can be frustrating, because it's often necessary to read the same sentence twice to understand what they were trying to say.

[Neil Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting, yet sad book to read. There have been studies done that show how class mobility is much rarer in our allegedly classless society when compared to the famously class-conscious England and this book sheds light on how this works.

It shows the burdens society puts on manual laborers and how the figment of a classless society puts the blame squarely on the individuals who don't obtain the American Dream. The interviews show how these workers understand that the stack is decked, but still internalize the societal burdens in unhealthy ways and pass them on to their children. Even "escape" to a white-collar job doesn't get rid of the feeling of being an impostor or a betrayer; in fact, escape seems impossible.

Also sobering that this book was written when manufacturing in America was at an apex and people could make good livings from this sort of work. Definitely illuminates our societal crisis we have on our hands if these feelings of shame were surfacing when times were comparably good.

[Michael B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me to make sense of what I was feeling being one of the few working class attendees at a four year college. Most of my peers treated me like warmed over shit and I would often internalize these feelings until this book helped me to understand that my crude and rude peers were simply acting out of an unearned sense of privilege they were raised to accept as natural and unquestionable. They could not help it if they were all dicks for that was the perspective they were raised with. While I had to work full time in the college cafeteria to be able to afford school, I would earn the scorn of my “betters” who wasted food, partied all night, and occasionally paid me to write their research papers for them. This book was for me worth at least a couple years of therapy working through my issues of poor self esteem.

[John G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important book, a dangerous, subversive book in fact. Written in clear, emotional language for the ordinary person to comprehend. This book delves into areas rarely discussed and articulated, those of class status and legitimate power. This book lays bare some key underlying fallacies of the great American con game. Properly understood, this book would lead to revolt and riot at the massive fraud being committed against humanity and human potential, this book opened my eyes about the invisible chains that keep us bound. This is an author I will actively seek out again!

[Leonardo]

describe los daños psicológicos infligidos a los hombres trabajadores de boston, que tienden a creer que si no consiguen prosperar es por su propia incapacidad, con los consiguientes sentimientos de hostilidad, resentimiento y vergüenza.

Desigualdad Pág.189

[Joshua Ange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it goes a little off the deep end and gets convoluted (and there’s also some eyebrow-raising language that gives away it’s 40-50 years old), but an overall interesting take on class identity and individualism. There are definitely some gems in here regarding how ‘badges of ability’ relate to notions of freedom and power in the workplace, and how parental sacrifice manifests from class position.

[Emre · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sınıf"a materyalist bir pencere yerine mânevi, değerler sistemini referans alan bir yaklaşımla bakan bu çalışma esasen Boston işçileriyle gerçekleştirilen görüşmeler üzerine kitaplaştırılmış. Görüşmeler neticesinde getirilen yorumların "Amerikan kültürü çerçevesinde Sınıf" adına oldukça iyi çözümlemeler sunduğunu düşünüyorum.

[Nisanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

never expect this book is that good

[Pedram]

آسیب های پنهان طبقه
محم��رضا فدایی
نشر شیرازه کتاب ما

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Limited. Not that I didn't get a few insights out of it, but it was published in 1966, and seems very much a product of its time. Looks at class in the USA without real consideration for its intersections with race and gender. I also thought Sennett and Cobb's points made about class could have been made better- the arguments felt a little thin to me.

[Clarence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated but still very interesting.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

powerful and compelling

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful questions, interesting problem, remain unconvinced by their solutions

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last 20 pages are a good summation. You can skim the rest since the authors admit themselves that all of their evidence is anecdotal and are used mostly to illustrate concepts they introduce.