Quote by Herbert Marcuse

If the worker and his boss enjoy the same television program and visit the same resort places, if the typist is as attractively made up as the daughter of her employer, if the Negro owns a Cadillac, if they all read the same newspaper, then this assimilation indicates not the disappearance of classes, but the extent to which the needs and satisfactions that serve the preservation of the Establishment are shared by the underlying population.


If the worker and his boss enjoy the same television program

Summary

This quote suggests that shared interests and preferences between workers and their bosses, such as entertainment choices, vacation destinations, and personal appearances, do not eliminate class distinctions. Instead, it implies that the extent to which the needs and desires that benefit the existing social and economic order are shared by the general population indicates the level of assimilation and identification with the interests of the Establishment. The quote implies that these commonalities can obscure underlying power dynamics and inequalities within society.

Topics

Equality
By Herbert Marcuse
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