iron cage

Iron Cage: The "iron cage" is an idea presented by Max Weber as a description of the affect of modernization processes on individuals and social relationships. The idea is that rationalization and specialization forces in the work place (factory, office, bureaucracy) alienate people from their labor and make them feel they are trapped in an "iron cage" of rationalized production in which the goal of efficiency replaces other, more human characteristics such as creative expression, pride in one's labor, or personal connections with other workers.

Additionally, Weber argued that these same forces would eventually expand from the production process and spill over into other, more personal aspects of daily life. In the end, Weber felt that modernization would turn humans into "automatons." He famously wrote that these social changes would make modern humans, "Hedonists without heart, specialists without spirit."

Since Weber wrote in German, there are different translations of his idea. I don't speak German (sorry) but the original Parsons translations provides the term "iron cage." More recent translations use the term "shell as hard as steel" to emphasize the organic origins of these processes. According to this view, these modernization forces are like a kind of Frankenstein's monster, we create them, but then they grow up and recreate us.

[j.c.]

you just summered up 30 pages of reading that made no sense to me until I watch your video! THANK YOU

[ffinianwills-dixon]

you have no idea how much this video help... been researching for days but now its all here

[Bill.R.]

Thank you for breaking this down. I have been drowning in the literature and Weber's book and nothing is really making much sense. This helps a lot.

[enghewoegute]

wow, you just made my day with this video. It has summarized what I have been trying to read without understand for the past 2 hours.

[alexa-hkxu]

thanks, youre so good at explaining these concepts. i know virtually nothing about sociology and am able to grasp your videos

[ranasaleh]

Amazing video, i unintentionally found myself taking notes.

[EstherNdutaSOUL]

Thank you for making it so easy to understand.

[SheIsntReal]

this was so so helpful thank you for explaining so simply

[a.thiren]

Thanks for explaining, and referring to other videoes as well.

[xxally]

Really helped me out here XD Thanks for visualizing the topic

[samyakcool]

kudos on the job well done man. your ability to explain concepts is remarkable.

[saulih]

Thank you for a easily understandable and unique videos. I really like your style

[beverlysimple]

This video was very helpful. Thanks a million.

[caitlinbelfiore]

This is the best explanation it helped me so much thank you!

[drpetergittins]

I think this is a very good application of the IC to modern examples. However, I think it is important to remember that this is your interpretation of the meaning of the IC. The use of the IC by Weber is fragmented, in the Protestant Ethic he refers to it as an institutional cage, then a cage relating to individual mentality, then in other works he refers to it in political terms. I think the biggest misconception of the IC is people saying 'It means this and doesn't relate to this'. It depends upon the phenomena you are looking at how you view the cage, IMO.

[manjunathjeerla]

Good Morning ! Sir do you maintain any blog or website to follow your lessons ?

[Lysanderfication]

Its not about Alienation, its about still having 'the calling' without the religious justification any longer and that those that do not want a career are obliged never the less.

[kyroodith]

I'm so confused what I just found, just found a whole new world

[rumanafariha]

Why aren't there any more video from you? Please upload more videos from the concepts of grade 7 and 8.

[idriss]

Thank you!! I don't know why in readings every other word is just some pointlesly long and doesn't make any sense