The term professional–managerial class (PMC) refers to a social class within capitalism that, by controlling production processes through occupying a superior management position, is neither proletarian nor bourgeoisie. Conceived as "The New Class" by social scientists and critics such as Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the 1970s, this group of middle class professionals is distinguished from other social classes by their training and education, typically business qualifications and university degrees,[1] with occupations thought to offer influence on society that would otherwise be available only to capital owners.[2] The professional–managerial class tend to have incomes above the average for their country, with major exceptions being academia and print journalism.[3]
The Ehrenreichs defined the PMC as educated professionals who historically did not work in corporate environments, such as scientists, lawyers, academics, artists, and journalists.[6] In a 2013 follow-up, they estimated that in the 1930s, PMC occupations made up less than 1% of total U.S. employment, but the share had risen to 24% by 1972, and 35% by 2006.[7] In that same essay, they argued that the notion of the PMC as a collective grouping was "in ruins" due to economic shifts in the 1990s and 2000s which changed their professional prospects. Some members (such as highly qualified scientists) "jump[ed] ship for more lucrative posts in direct services to capital"; others (such as lawyers, tenured professors, and doctors) found themselves in increasingly "corporation-like" workplaces; while others still (like those with backgrounds in media or the humanities) "spiral[ed] down to the retail workforce", unable to parlay their skills into higher-income jobs.[7]
^Kellner, Hansfried; Heuberger, Frank W. (1994). "Hidden Technocrats: The New Class and New Capitalism". Transaction Publishers.
^Gail, Kelly; Slaughter, Sheila (1990). Women's higher education in comparative perspective. Springer. ISBN9780792308003 – via Google Books.
^ abcPress, Alex. "On the Origins of the Professional-Managerial Class: An Interview with Barbara Ehrenreich". Dissent Magazine. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
^Horton, John (1979). "Marxist versus Revisionist Concepts of Socialism". Synthesis. 3 (1): 34–38. ISSN 0193-869X. JSTOR 43783375.
^Ehrenreich, John; Ehrenreich, Barbara (1979). Walker, Pat (ed.). Between Labor and Capital (1st ed.). Boston: South End Press. ISBN0-89608-037-4.
^ abEhrenreich, Barbara; Ehrenreich, John (February 2013). "Barbara and John Ehrenreich: The Real Story Behind the Crash and Burn of America's Managerial Class". AlterNet. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
^"Professional-Managerial Chasm". n+1. October 10, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
On the Origins of the Professional–Managerial Class: An Interview with Barbara Ehrenreich at at Dissent Magazine
Radical America #11.02 featuring The professional–managerial class by Barbara and John Ehrenreich
April 26, 2024
professional, managerial, class, term, professional, managerial, class, refers, social, class, within, capitalism, that, controlling, production, processes, through, occupying, superior, management, position, neither, proletarian, bourgeoisie, conceived, class. The term professional managerial class PMC refers to a social class within capitalism that by controlling production processes through occupying a superior management position is neither proletarian nor bourgeoisie Conceived as The New Class by social scientists and critics such as Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the 1970s this group of middle class professionals is distinguished from other social classes by their training and education typically business qualifications and university degrees 1 with occupations thought to offer influence on society that would otherwise be available only to capital owners 2 The professional managerial class tend to have incomes above the average for their country with major exceptions being academia and print journalism 3 Contents 1 History 1 1 Later use 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory editJames Burnham had proposed the idea of a leading managerial class in his 1941 book The Managerial Revolution but the term professional managerial class was coined in 1977 by John and Barbara Ehrenreich 4 The PMC hypothesis contributed to the Marxist debates on class in Fordism and was used as an analytical category in the examination of non proletarian employees However orthodox Marxists consider the PMC hypothesis to be revisionism of the Marxist understanding of class 5 The Ehrenreichs defined the PMC as educated professionals who historically did not work in corporate environments such as scientists lawyers academics artists and journalists 6 In a 2013 follow up they estimated that in the 1930s PMC occupations made up less than 1 of total U S employment but the share had risen to 24 by 1972 and 35 by 2006 7 In that same essay they argued that the notion of the PMC as a collective grouping was in ruins due to economic shifts in the 1990s and 2000s which changed their professional prospects Some members such as highly qualified scientists jump ed ship for more lucrative posts in direct services to capital others such as lawyers tenured professors and doctors found themselves in increasingly corporation like workplaces while others still like those with backgrounds in media or the humanities spiral ed down to the retail workforce unable to parlay their skills into higher income jobs 7 Later use edit By the late 2010s the term was more broadly used in American political discourse as a shorthand reference to technocratic liberals or wealthy Democratic voters 8 4 Among left wing commentators it is typically used as a pejorative description in 2019 Barbara Ehrenreich expressed disapproval over using the term as an ultraleft slur 4 Catherine Liu in Virtue Hoarders 2021 characterized the PMC as white collar left liberals afflicted with a superiority complex in relation to ordinary members of the working class 9 10 11 Hans Magnus Enzensberger had previously written of the characterless opportunism of its members in reference to its constant shifting of allegiances not only between the leisured and working classes but also among themselves 12 See also editBildungsburgertum Creative class Labor aristocracy Lumpenbourgeoisie New class Petite bourgeoisie Thought leader Upper middle classReferences edit Green Philip 1985 Retrieving Democracy In Search of Civic Equality Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 9780847674053 via Google Books Kellner Hansfried Heuberger Frank W 1994 Hidden Technocrats The New Class and New Capitalism Transaction Publishers Gail Kelly Slaughter Sheila 1990 Women s higher education in comparative perspective Springer ISBN 9780792308003 via Google Books a b c Press Alex On the Origins of the Professional Managerial Class An Interview with Barbara Ehrenreich Dissent Magazine Retrieved May 3 2021 Horton John 1979 Marxist versus Revisionist Concepts of Socialism Synthesis 3 1 34 38 ISSN 0193 869X JSTOR 43783375 Ehrenreich John Ehrenreich Barbara 1979 Walker Pat ed Between Labor and Capital 1st ed Boston South End Press ISBN 0 89608 037 4 a b Ehrenreich Barbara Ehrenreich John February 2013 Barbara and John Ehrenreich The Real Story Behind the Crash and Burn of America s Managerial Class AlterNet Retrieved October 31 2020 Professional Managerial Chasm n 1 October 10 2019 Retrieved May 3 2021 Virtue Hoarders our scolding elites Spiked The Jacobin Show The Professional Managerial Class w Catherine Liu University of Minnesota Press January 27 2021 Aufhebunga Bunga podcast The Worst Class ft Catherine Liu University of Minnesota Press Frost Amber A Lee November 2019 The Characterless Opportunism of the Managerial Class American Affairs Vol 3 no 4 External links editProfessional Managerial Chasm at n 1 magazine On the Origins of the Professional Managerial Class An Interview with Barbara Ehrenreich at at Dissent Magazine Radical America 11 02 featuring The professional managerial class by Barbara and John Ehrenreich Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Professional managerial class amp oldid 1191816823, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
