Marx's theory of alienation is based on the relationship of the worker to the means of production. It outlines four main aspects in which workers are alienated in today's society: alienated from the products of their labor, alienated from the process of work, denied the ability to be creative, and physically alienated from other people. Although Marx developed this theory in 1844 it is, in fact, even more applicable in today's mass production, developed society.

In order to assess whether I was alienated or not, I would use indicators relevant to each of the four categories espoused in Marx's original theory. Additionally, surveys are frequently performed in the area of job satisfaction; I would also use their indicators to determine whether I was alienated or not.

A series of University of Michigan studies, involving interviews with a sample of employed people, found that severa

The other indicators would be answered in a similarly depressing manner. I do frequently look for other jobs and contemplate switching careers slightly, remaining in the general field of technology but changing my role. According to Marx and the indicators I used, I have a high degree of alienation, countered only by my relatively high degree of satisfaction with my salary.

Hodson, Randy & Teresa Sullivan, The Social Organization of Work, 2nd ed., Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1995.

Neubeck, Kenneth J., Social Problems: A Critical Approach, 3rd ed., New York: McGraw-Hill Inc., 1991.

An honest assessment would be that I exercise a degree of creativity, do not have as much control over the process of work as I would like (not enough resources, authority, poor environmental conditions), and see the products of my labor few and far between. In fact, the only area in which I felt relatively content was the issue of pay / rewards for my labor. The question of physical isolation did not come up; in fact I could argue that there are too many people around vice the opposite.

I would argue that, to a large extent, this is probably the depressing norm even in tod

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