Are White-Collar Trade Unionists Different?

Abstract

This paper, based on a broader investigation into class imagery, examines the attitudes of white- and blue-collar workers to certain aspects of trade unionism. The authors conclude that there are basic similarities in the attitudes of both groups of workers and that the differences that do exist may have been exaggerated by previous writers. In particular, the authors question the validity of the distinction between white-collar individualistic and blue-collar collectivistic responses to work and unionism. They argue that their data suggest that both sets of workers may be instrumentally collective with respect to trade unionism in that they tend to regard it as an instrument for the achievement of individualistic goals.