Late 20th Century · Sociology of Work / Labor Process Theory
Harry Braverman (1920-1976) was an American Marxist writer, editor, and publisher whose 1974 book 'Labor and Monopoly Capital' fundamentally reshaped the sociology of work. A skilled metalworker turned intellectual, he synthesized Marxist theory with detailed empirical analysis of 20th-century industrial management. His work established Labor Process Theory, arguing that capitalism systematically deskills workers to increase managerial control and extract surplus value.