External Compliance, Internal Defiance

Happy Halloween!

In 1970s sociological studies of working class emotional life, academics discovered that the alleged authoritarianism of the working class family was based on a parental injunction to ‘stay out of trouble.’ Working class children of all races were told by parents or grandparents that obeying rules was a mode of survival in a world that was hostile to their interests. Hence the rich kid, about to be PMC (professional, managerial class), countercultural disdain for “squares” always had a class based contempt. Remaining defiant, however, meant for the worker, remaining suspicious of authorities, “the boss,” as a mode of familial and class loyalty. PMC people are not workers, they’re “warriors.”

I’m putting what follows behind the paywall because I’m still developing these ideas. I’m not being coy, I also don’t want radlibs having temper tantrums to distract from the history, ideas and experiences I’m trying to elaborate here.