Harry Braverman
Encyclopedia
Harry Braverman was an American Socialist, economist
and political writer. He sometimes used the pseudonym Harry Frankel.
Braverman was born on the 9th December 1920 in New York City
. He became active in the American Trotskyist movement in 1937 and soon joined the newly founded Socialist Workers Party
.
In the 1950s, Harry Braverman was one of the leaders of the so-called Cochranite tendency, a current led by Bert Cochran
within the broader Socialist Workers Party. The Cochranites rejected revolutionary agitation under the dual pressures of relative post-World War II
capitalist prosperity and the accompanying McCarthy
-era anti-communist witch-hunt. They argued that the current capitalist expansion would last for an extended period of time, which precluded renewed revolutionary struggles by working people. Eventually the Cochranites, including Braverman, were expelled from the SWP. They formed the American Socialist Union
, to whose journal Braverman was a regular contributor.
During the early 1960s, Harry Braverman worked as an editor for Grove Press
, where he was instrumental in publishing The Autobiography of Malcolm X
. Braverman's most important book was Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century
, which examines the degrading effect of capitalism on work in America. The book was published in 1974. He died from cancer
in Honesdale, Pennsylvania
on 2nd August 1976.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and political writer. He sometimes used the pseudonym Harry Frankel.
Braverman was born on the 9th December 1920 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He became active in the American Trotskyist movement in 1937 and soon joined the newly founded Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
.
In the 1950s, Harry Braverman was one of the leaders of the so-called Cochranite tendency, a current led by Bert Cochran
Bert Cochran
Bert Cochran was an American Communist politician and author.Cochran was born in Poland in 1913 and came to the US at an early age. His birth name was Alexander Goldfarb. In the 1930s, Cochran attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he was recruited to the Trotskyist movement by Max...
within the broader Socialist Workers Party. The Cochranites rejected revolutionary agitation under the dual pressures of relative post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
capitalist prosperity and the accompanying McCarthy
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
-era anti-communist witch-hunt. They argued that the current capitalist expansion would last for an extended period of time, which precluded renewed revolutionary struggles by working people. Eventually the Cochranites, including Braverman, were expelled from the SWP. They formed the American Socialist Union
American Socialist Union
The Socialist Union of America, also called American Socialist Union, Socialist Union or Cochranites were a Trotskyist group that split from the Socialist Workers Party in 1953 and disbanded in 1959...
, to whose journal Braverman was a regular contributor.
During the early 1960s, Harry Braverman worked as an editor for Grove Press
Grove Press
Grove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its...
, where he was instrumental in publishing The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X was published in 1965, the result of a collaboration between Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley. Haley coauthored the autobiography based on a series of in-depth interviews he conducted between 1963 and Malcolm X's 1965 assassination...
. Braverman's most important book was Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century
Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century
Harry Braverman's Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century was one of the most important sociological books of its era. It revived academic interest in both the history and the sociology of workplaces setting the agenda for many subsequent historians and...
, which examines the degrading effect of capitalism on work in America. The book was published in 1974. He died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Scranton. The population was 4,874 at the 2000 census....
on 2nd August 1976.
External links
- Harry Braverman’s Writings on Marxists Internet Archive.
- Braverman's Marxist Analysis.