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He who will not work, neither shall he eat" : German Social Democratic attitudes to labor, 1890-1914

University of British Columbia

Two primary insights may be obtained from an investigation of German Social Democratic attitudes to work between 1890 and 1914. Firstly, some light may be cast upon the acceptance by an avowedly radical socialist movement of ethics of personal behavior inculcated by the German ruling classes. Secondly, the impact of that movement on the adaptation of the working class to the demands of industrial labor may be elucidated. Following a brief review of the status of German industrialization in this epoch, and of the history of the Social Democracy up to 1890, the introductory chapter outlines a model of the party's position in German society. Socialism formed a distinct "subculture" isolated politically and socially from the dominant culture. A revolutionary ideology characterized the movement, but its reformist tactics and the conditions of exclusion from the nation actually entailed the "negative integration" of the socialist subculture into the larger society. On this foundation the average party member's ideas of labor are then examined through the medium of socialist autobiographies. The work ethic was thoroughly indoctrinated by the institutions of the dominant culture: school, church, family, workshop and newspaper. The nature and ideological context of the conversion to socialism often reinforced these previously inculcated values. This irony was further magnified by the desire of many socialist workers for social "respectability." The third and fourth, chapters deal with conceptions of work in Social Democratic ideology. A militant reaffirmation of the work ethic is visible throughout the writings of both Marxist and Revisionist theorists. To some extent this may be traced to the intellectual assumptions of the ideologues, but above all the reinforcing belief in work in both the subculture and dominant culture must be credited with causing this particular emphasis in German socialist theory. Finally, the similarity between attitudes to work at both the top and bottom strata of the party is noted. While there was undoubtedly some interchange between high, and popular socialist ideology, the universal acceptance of the work ethic was due primarily to the similar influences of the dominant culture on both workers and intellectuals. But regardless of the origin of these conceptions, their impact upon the movement is quite clear. The socialist commitment to labor contributed to the "negative integration" of the Social Democracy by subtly tying the working class into German society, and aided the adaptation of German workers to industrialization by outfitting them with new ideas of work.

Text

2010-02-10

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/19990

Psychology

University of British Columbia

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