Ideology and Occupational Community: A Study of Compositors

This study is concerned with a neglected dimension in the discussions over the process of embourgeoisement: the role of the occupation itself. One occupational group, that of the compositor, is selected for investigation; the compositor, because of his income, expendite patterns and other behavioural norms would appear to be just the kind of worker undergoing embourgeoisement; yet the compositor's ideology, in terms of class and political affiliations, is more radical than that found amongst the skilled working class in general. One partial explanation for this is suggested: the occupational community. The existence of a powerful occupational community is demonstrated and some measure is made of its influence on the ideology of its members. By implying that wide occupational differences exist within a similar class category, the importance of further occupational studies is emphasized.