Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 25 n. 2 Rio de Janeiro 1982
Abstract
This paper seeks to submit the hypothesis of an emerging working-class aristocracy in Latin America to a critical analysis based on available empirical surveys and historical evidence. The hypothesis reads that the trend towards greater heterogeneity in the course of development should result in the emergence of a privileged working-class stratum in the most dynamic industries, a stratum well integrated into the firms and indifferent to working-class politics. The conclusions are that the internal differentiation of the working-class does not necessarily result in a declining class solidarity and that economic privileges are not a sufficient condition for greater social integration. The discussion casts doubts on the direct relationship postulated by the working-class aristocracy hypothesis between objective circumstances and labor behavior and orientations, emphasizing the role of intervening variables performed by the agencies of political socialization and the presence of the state in the labor relations system. lt is argued that the emergence of a working-class aristocracy necessitates, in addiction to economic privileges, that workers be totally immersed in the life of the firms and that the process of collective bargaining be decentralized. In Latin America, on the contrary, a popular political culture permeates labor unions and political parties and the emergence of other favorable conditions have been inhibited by the Strong interventionist role of the state.
Os Novos Trabalhadores na América Latina: Uma Reflexão sobrer a Tese da Aristocracia Operária
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