In this week’s episode, we’re discussing a topic that’s gotten a great deal of air time but challenges our ideas about the basic structure of class. What is the professional-managerial class — if it exists? How do those who belong to it navigate their position in the class hierarchy; where do they fit into the dynamic of boss and worker? This week’s guest, professor and author Catherine Liu, will provide insight into these thorny, important questions. Her book, Virtue Hoarders, takes a look at how the world’s corporate managers obfuscate our attempts to build class-based politics. If they don’t rule over their fellow workers, it just might not be for lack of trying.
A classic Marxist understanding of class looks at the struggle between workers — who must sell their labor to get the things they need to survive — and capitalists, those who control workers’ wages and means of survival. Those who support the idea of a professional-managerial class point out that a highly trained, often high-earning set of workers can take on this controlling role on behalf of the bosses. In a society defined by class-based struggle for survival, which side of that struggle do these workers fall on? And do they understand their place? This is the crux of the topic we’ll be diving into this week, and we think you’ll be interested.
Before tuning into our conversation with Catherine — which will be released on Friday night on Substack for paying subscribers, and on Saturday night through streaming platforms for everyone — you can take a look at her work, catch her on Chapo, and hear her argument for an updated way of looking at the class divisions in our society. We’re looking forward to a lively discussion, and we’re thrilled that Catherine is joining us.