ABSTRACT
The cyclothymic views of workers are more fitting as a topic in the sociology of knowledge than they are in the analysis of what workers actually believe and practice. This chapter presents a few elements of what the authors believe is a more realistic picture of workers. The nature of the conditions of working class lives (jobs, opportunities, family structure) affects behavior more than has been frequently realized; similarly, modes of understanding the environment can be more important than deep-seated personality factors in behavioral patterns. The recognition of the importance of the internal life of man has sometimes overshadowed the significance of the more manifest aspects of his existence. Coping with the instability threats becomes a dominant activity within the working class family. Many practices, such as mutual aid and cooperation, extended family perspectives, are important as adjustive mechanisms.
