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The Salaried Masses: Duty and Distraction in Weimar Germany | 
 enlarge | Author: Siegfried Kracauer
Creator: Quintin Hoare
Publisher: Verso
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $8.66
You Save: $6.34 (42%)
New (19) Used (9) from $7.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 257784
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 122
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.4
ISBN: 1859841872
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.55609430904
EAN: 9781859841877
ASIN: 1859841872
Publication Date: September 1998
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Product Description
A fascinating study of Germany society on the eve of Nazism. First published in 1930, Siegfried Kracauer's work was greeted with great acclaim and soon attained the status of a classic. The object of his inquiry was the new class of salaried employees who populated the cities of Weimar Germany. Spiritually homeless, divorced from all custom and tradition, these white-collar workers sought refuge in entertainment -- or the "distraction of industries," as Kracauer put it -- but, only three years late, were to flee into the arms of Adolf Hitler. Eschewing the instruments of traditional sociological scholarship, but without collapsing into mere journalistic reportage, Kracauer explores the contradictions of this caste. Drawing on conversations, newspapers, adverts and personal correspondence, he charts the bland horror of the everyday. In the process, Kracauer succeeds in writing not just a prescient account of the decline days of the Weimar Republic, but also a path-breaking exercise in the sociology of culture which has sharp relevance for today.
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| Customer Reviews:
Excellent! September 25, 2008
Kracauer's approach in this master study of Angelstellen ( White Color workers) is simply timeless ,nevertheless it was written in the last chapter of the Weimar era. Kracauer's approach is heterodoxy; he did not theorize and generalize , instead he gives numerous examples and provides his penetrating insight and trenchant criticism on each occasion. As Walter Benjamin pointed out , Kracauer was an outsider.Yet he definitely takes vantage point of view that is often ignored by blinded insiders whose false counscioiusneses impede them to look their social milieu forthrightly .For example, as an outsider, Kracauer knows the where these slaried Masses located in the social strata acutely but most of white color workers have bourgeios aspiration, outlook and attitude which often engendered by the place and function of their job in work places. They simply look down on blue color workers and often felt a sense of superiority. Kracauer's analysis on this case showes how his approch is more effective than traditional approch that often give blank judgement on social phenomenon. He sees that it is their social origin rather than their current position. Kracauser's lucid analysis on white color workers and entertaining industry is surprisingly modern.
It is an extremely usuful book and Kracauer's sense of irony keeps making the book highly readable . It is simply must read.
Excellent Social Study From the Weimar Era September 21, 2004
Kracauer's "Salaried Masses", finally translated after seventy years, is a fascinating study of Weimar society, with a particular emphasis on the workforce and the dynamics between employers and workers. This analysis, along with his collection of essays entitled "The Mass Ornament", shows a side of Kracauer that surfaces only occasionally in his more popular works like "From Caligari to Hitler", a side that is highly critical of social institutions, especially those structured upon a fascist hierarchy. His discussion on the tactics employers use to train and pacify workers is outstanding (early secretaries were taught to type with the rhythm of music coming from a phonograph; the corporate "trainers" slowly increased the speed of the record until the women were typing with sufficient speed). The role of company-sponsored sports or recreational events (baseball, picnics, etc.) does not escape scrutiny and it's amazing how relevant much of this material is in today's corporate-dominated culture. It's a brief and highly-engrossing read that anyone interested in the functions of social institutions should enjoy.
An Excellent Study by an Underrated Social Critic September 22, 1999
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Kracauer's "Salaried Masses", finally translated after seventy years, is a fascinating study of Weimar society, with a particular emphasis on the workforce and the dynamics between employers and workers. This analysis, along with his collection of essays entitled "The Mass Ornament", shows a side of Kracauer that surfaces only occasionally in his more popular works like "From Caligari to Hitler", a side that is highly critical of social institutions, especially those structured upon a fascist hierarchy. His discussion on the tactics employers use to train and pacify workers is outstanding (early secretaries were taught to type with the rhythm of music coming from a phonograph; the corporate "trainers" slowly increased the speed of the record until the women were typing with sufficient speed). The role of company-sponsored sports or recreational events (baseball, picnics, etc.) does not escape scrutiny and it's amazing how relevant much of this material is in today's corporate-dominated culture. It's a brief and highly-engrossing read that anyone interested in the functions of social institutions should enjoy.
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