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Why Nothing Works: The Anthropology of Daily Life
Examines the changes taking place in modern America, and discusses shoddy workmanship, poor service, inflation, crime, and religious cults.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
16 people are currently reading
834 people want to read
About the author
Marvin Harris
38 books235 followersAmerican anthropologist Marvin Harris was born in Brooklyn, New York. A prolific writer, he was highly influential in the development of cultural materialism. In his work he combined Karl Marx's emphasis on the forces of production with Malthus's insights on the impact of demographic factors on other parts of the sociocultural system. Labeling demographic and production factors as infrastructure, Harris posited these factors as key in determining a society's social structure and culture.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 11, 2023
Excelente análisis holístico en el que Marvin Harris, utilizando un método de análisis que prima el movimiento de la economía y los cambios en la composición de la fuerza de trabajo, analiza los cambios dados en la cultura estadounidense en los últimos estertores de la Guerra Fría. Dada la inserción de España en el Imperio estadounidense, considero el análisis de semejantes movimientos útil en tanto que Estados Unidos "marca el ritmo" de las sociedades políticas en su órbita y, por ello, la realidad estadounidense, aunque no completamente extrapolable, ayuda a entender incluso los cambios que se han producido en España durante las últimas décadas.
El libro toca numerosos procesos, aparentemente inconexos, pero los cuales aparecen hilados por Harris en una magnifica cadena causal. El libro está escrito contra diversos grupos: aquellos que achacan los cambios culturales de Estados Unidos a una pérdida de los tradicionales valores del puritanismo y la ética protestante, relacionada con el capitalismo, el trabajo y el ahorro; contra la nueva ola neomalthusiana que ve una suerte de apocalipsis ecológico ya prefigurado en el malestar de los 80, contra aquellos cuya solución es dar manga ancha para que las empresas privadas hagan lo que les de la gana, y contra los que ven en el simple aumento de la participación del Estado en la economía como una solución.
Harris abunda, a la hora de argumentar, en la división del trabajo que supone la industrialización, el paso de una economía basada en la producción de bienes a una que se encarga de producir servicios y tratar información, pero igualmente industrializada, sometida a una fuerte división y automatización del trabajo (oponiéndose frontalmente a la tesis de la "sociedad posindustrial" de Daniel Bell, que tanto ruido ha hecho), así como a progresivos avances técnicos que aumentan la alienación del trabajador con respecto del producto y sus consumidores. Critica la tendencia de la empresa privada al oligopolio, resaltando que resultan incluso más burocráticas e ineficientes que el propio sector público (a diferencia de los liberales a los que Harris se opone), pero sin también a la propia burocracia estatal, destacando el despilfarro que, aun así, termina por ser sufragado (aunque señala que, de no tratarse de una economía de servicios, podría ser la cosa de otra forma). Así se explica el descenso de calidad de los productos estadounidenses, la falta de formación y disposición de sus trabajadores, así como la inflación desatada en el país.
Más interesantes, por heterodoxos, resultan las explicaciones de Harris sobre el auge del feminismo, la homosexualidad y las sectas en Estados Unidos, como fenómenos ligados a los puntos anteriormente citados. El feminismo sería visto como una consecuencia, y no a la inversa, de la liberación de la mujer del hogar a la fuerza de trabajo, empujada por necesidad de un salario adicional a trabajos temporales y precarios, necesitando de un movimiento que le permita alcanzar una igualdad de condiciones a sus homólogos varones. Dado el decaimiento del imperativo marital, la homosexualidad habría ido en auge. El auge de las sectas sería, a su vez, síntoma de una sociedad cada vez más desesperada por cubrir sus necesidades materiales, tornándose así hacia soluciones de cariz aparentemente ultraterreno.
Pese a que la parte expositiva y de análisis, pese a algunos "triples", me ha parecido interesante y de gran potencia explicativa, Harris yerra el tiro a la hora de proponer soluciones. Su solución se basa en una, a mi parecer inviable, reversión de la centralización, centrándose en la promoción de un combo de pequeños productores y energías renovables. A decir verdad, me cuesta no ver un principio "anarquizante" de fondo en la solución de Harris, quizás acorde con la fe que aparentemente profesa en el "sueño americano" (de inspiración liberal), así como una suerte de idealización de la pequeña comunidad y las relaciones entre sus integrantes, las cuales dice que son más auténticas y humanas. No puede sino recordarme a cierta "nostalgia de la Barbarie", muy frecuente en el gremio de los antropólogos, al que Harris pertenece.
El libro toca numerosos procesos, aparentemente inconexos, pero los cuales aparecen hilados por Harris en una magnifica cadena causal. El libro está escrito contra diversos grupos: aquellos que achacan los cambios culturales de Estados Unidos a una pérdida de los tradicionales valores del puritanismo y la ética protestante, relacionada con el capitalismo, el trabajo y el ahorro; contra la nueva ola neomalthusiana que ve una suerte de apocalipsis ecológico ya prefigurado en el malestar de los 80, contra aquellos cuya solución es dar manga ancha para que las empresas privadas hagan lo que les de la gana, y contra los que ven en el simple aumento de la participación del Estado en la economía como una solución.
Harris abunda, a la hora de argumentar, en la división del trabajo que supone la industrialización, el paso de una economía basada en la producción de bienes a una que se encarga de producir servicios y tratar información, pero igualmente industrializada, sometida a una fuerte división y automatización del trabajo (oponiéndose frontalmente a la tesis de la "sociedad posindustrial" de Daniel Bell, que tanto ruido ha hecho), así como a progresivos avances técnicos que aumentan la alienación del trabajador con respecto del producto y sus consumidores. Critica la tendencia de la empresa privada al oligopolio, resaltando que resultan incluso más burocráticas e ineficientes que el propio sector público (a diferencia de los liberales a los que Harris se opone), pero sin también a la propia burocracia estatal, destacando el despilfarro que, aun así, termina por ser sufragado (aunque señala que, de no tratarse de una economía de servicios, podría ser la cosa de otra forma). Así se explica el descenso de calidad de los productos estadounidenses, la falta de formación y disposición de sus trabajadores, así como la inflación desatada en el país.
Más interesantes, por heterodoxos, resultan las explicaciones de Harris sobre el auge del feminismo, la homosexualidad y las sectas en Estados Unidos, como fenómenos ligados a los puntos anteriormente citados. El feminismo sería visto como una consecuencia, y no a la inversa, de la liberación de la mujer del hogar a la fuerza de trabajo, empujada por necesidad de un salario adicional a trabajos temporales y precarios, necesitando de un movimiento que le permita alcanzar una igualdad de condiciones a sus homólogos varones. Dado el decaimiento del imperativo marital, la homosexualidad habría ido en auge. El auge de las sectas sería, a su vez, síntoma de una sociedad cada vez más desesperada por cubrir sus necesidades materiales, tornándose así hacia soluciones de cariz aparentemente ultraterreno.
Pese a que la parte expositiva y de análisis, pese a algunos "triples", me ha parecido interesante y de gran potencia explicativa, Harris yerra el tiro a la hora de proponer soluciones. Su solución se basa en una, a mi parecer inviable, reversión de la centralización, centrándose en la promoción de un combo de pequeños productores y energías renovables. A decir verdad, me cuesta no ver un principio "anarquizante" de fondo en la solución de Harris, quizás acorde con la fe que aparentemente profesa en el "sueño americano" (de inspiración liberal), así como una suerte de idealización de la pequeña comunidad y las relaciones entre sus integrantes, las cuales dice que son más auténticas y humanas. No puede sino recordarme a cierta "nostalgia de la Barbarie", muy frecuente en el gremio de los antropólogos, al que Harris pertenece.
January 25, 2015
Es interesante el punto de vista que muestra el señor Harris, aunque me ha parecido un poco prepotente. Una pena haberlo leído a prisa y corriendo para el examen. Ya sabéis, si se os rompe una lavadora u os llega mal una compra por internet es culpa de las mujeres trabajadoras, los negros y los gays.
November 9, 2013
Too bad we didn't pay attenion when this was first published.
October 2, 2021
Accesible for all readers, a must read for everyone who wants to gain insight on social theory. Also a brilliant introduction to cultural materalism. Despite being written more than four decades ago, the book still manages to be relevant.
November 11, 2020
My father insisted I read this book , it is worth a read. It is amazing how 40 years after the publication many of the issues are still true today, and many of the same problems persist. The book is about why America is failing and includes reasons due to deficit spending, planned obsolescence, culture wars, third awakening, widening gap between wealth and poverty. His arguments about increase in crime related to women entering workforce are logical, but may be outdated. American products are not made with high quality anymore and do not last long, reasons include oligopolies and complex bureaucracy that has fed a information service economy that doesn’t seem to be providing opportunities for Americans to achieve the dream.
The right wing Republican believe that America has problems will be solved simply by giving US corporations a free hand to do business as they please. Is it realistic to expect that the regulation of the private sector will cure the ills of hyper industrialization? Left to their own devices what will prevent the conglomerates from being even more oligopolist and bureaucratized than they already are? What will prevent them from producing more shoddy goods and catastrophic information services (like all the help desks you call when something goes wrong)?
The renewal of the American dream may be improbable, but it will become finally impossible only when the last dreamer gives up trying to make it come true.
This book is full of ideas true of today worth discussing.
The right wing Republican believe that America has problems will be solved simply by giving US corporations a free hand to do business as they please. Is it realistic to expect that the regulation of the private sector will cure the ills of hyper industrialization? Left to their own devices what will prevent the conglomerates from being even more oligopolist and bureaucratized than they already are? What will prevent them from producing more shoddy goods and catastrophic information services (like all the help desks you call when something goes wrong)?
The renewal of the American dream may be improbable, but it will become finally impossible only when the last dreamer gives up trying to make it come true.
This book is full of ideas true of today worth discussing.
February 9, 2023
the last time i was this excited writing a book review is after i read “born to run” which was.. err… not so long ago. but anyway, i am excited because i really really enjoyed reading this book. tremendously love it!!!
the book was published 35 years ago, talking about the whys of all the problem america had at that time. to be honest, i was rather pessimistic at first, worried that i would find the book obsolete, no longer relevant to the current world of mine, an indonesian living in the 2020s. but boy, i am super glad that i was wrong. it was like reading a book about now. i love his in depth analysis and i found them extremely convincing. i mean, i am convinced, since i could even find correlation of some analysis that he made with some things happening in indonesia. it’s not supposed to be a comic book, but i laughed hard when reading a part that explains our own yusuf mansyur’s urging the followers to donate more money phenomenon.
the book is all about the whys, which are crucial to build the right how. it’s beyond hard to fix the wrongs, but it’s not impossible. that’s how he close the book. rather a rom-com-ish hopeful ending, which i don’t normally fancy, but i’ll take that. that’s how much i love the book!
the book was published 35 years ago, talking about the whys of all the problem america had at that time. to be honest, i was rather pessimistic at first, worried that i would find the book obsolete, no longer relevant to the current world of mine, an indonesian living in the 2020s. but boy, i am super glad that i was wrong. it was like reading a book about now. i love his in depth analysis and i found them extremely convincing. i mean, i am convinced, since i could even find correlation of some analysis that he made with some things happening in indonesia. it’s not supposed to be a comic book, but i laughed hard when reading a part that explains our own yusuf mansyur’s urging the followers to donate more money phenomenon.
the book is all about the whys, which are crucial to build the right how. it’s beyond hard to fix the wrongs, but it’s not impossible. that’s how he close the book. rather a rom-com-ish hopeful ending, which i don’t normally fancy, but i’ll take that. that’s how much i love the book!
July 9, 2024
Recommended by a friend I trust and respect, and I'm sad to say I was very disappointed in this. Some of it has aged quite poorly, and that's understandable. Harris is writing about American life 50 years ago. He even mentions in the prologue that it's okay to make big predictions about the future 50 years from now because by the time those predictions are up for validation, no one will remember or care. Well, I guess the egg is on my face. But Harris is wrong just as often as he's right in terms of his predictions, and because of confirmation bias, we're likely to fixate on the things he gets right. His explanation for the inflation of the time is truly ridiculous. His explanation for "Why Nothing Works" feels extremely incomplete. He blames the lowly workers who feel alienated and uninterested in their job -- when the answer is so wildly apparent that companies are more interested in the bottom line than they used to be, and that means taking shortcuts and making things with cheap components. Those components are unreliable, and they break. Shareholders and CEOs are willing to squeeze the quality of a product at the customer's expense. But no, Harris believes it's because of the alienation of the modern worker at corporations.
On the subject of race, he's not entirely wrong, but his prose is likely to not sit well with the modern reader. Shortly after the publication of the book, violent crime decreased and stayed decreased for decades.
On the subject of queerness, he raises some interesting points, and it wasn't nearly as offensive as I was prepared for.
His chapter "Why Women Left the Home" is also incomplete, as he downplays the wider access to education that women had in the 60s -- that was crucially important to the strides made in feminist thought at the time. (Or at least its spread). His points about women entering the workforce and preventing many men of color from getting those jobs is quite persuasive, though.
An unkind reading of this can feel like a pre-Trump call to "make America great again", as Harris pinpoints the post-WWII rebuilding to be the fall of America's finest hour (or whatever you want to call that). Why isn't American life like what you see on Leave it to Beaver?! Why isn't it Mayberry?! If you choose to believe Harris, it's basically because people have become lazy and the Carter administration didn't reign in the post office's budget. Give me a break lol.
On the subject of race, he's not entirely wrong, but his prose is likely to not sit well with the modern reader. Shortly after the publication of the book, violent crime decreased and stayed decreased for decades.
On the subject of queerness, he raises some interesting points, and it wasn't nearly as offensive as I was prepared for.
His chapter "Why Women Left the Home" is also incomplete, as he downplays the wider access to education that women had in the 60s -- that was crucially important to the strides made in feminist thought at the time. (Or at least its spread). His points about women entering the workforce and preventing many men of color from getting those jobs is quite persuasive, though.
An unkind reading of this can feel like a pre-Trump call to "make America great again", as Harris pinpoints the post-WWII rebuilding to be the fall of America's finest hour (or whatever you want to call that). Why isn't American life like what you see on Leave it to Beaver?! Why isn't it Mayberry?! If you choose to believe Harris, it's basically because people have become lazy and the Carter administration didn't reign in the post office's budget. Give me a break lol.
January 31, 2015
Mom's hardback copy of the original 1981 edition--America Now: The Anthropology of a Changing Culture. The new title comes from Chapter 1. I had taken a soc/anth class and was quite taken with Mr. Harris. I wonder what his views would be these days. I think we read another work of his for class or studied him in depth. It made a big impression. One of my favorite courses at DU.
May 9, 2022
¿Por qué la economía basada en servicios es la economía preponderante en la actualidad?, ¿por qué la industria pornográfica ha crecido tanto?, ¿or qué el racismo sigue siendo vigente en gran parte de occidente?, ¿a qué se debe la entrada del sexo femenino en el campo laboral?, ¿por qué la homosexualidad ha crecido tanto en número desde los 60's? y ¿por qué hay tanta contaminación?
Todo esto y más Harris lo contesta en este magnifico tratado en contra de todo lo que representa Estados Unidos.
Una buena conclusión de la obra es que la burocracia estatal y los oligopolios empresariales son el enemigo en común del proletariado estadounidense. El único problema (como siempre) es la falta de compromiso a un proyecto político.
Todo esto y más Harris lo contesta en este magnifico tratado en contra de todo lo que representa Estados Unidos.
Una buena conclusión de la obra es que la burocracia estatal y los oligopolios empresariales son el enemigo en común del proletariado estadounidense. El único problema (como siempre) es la falta de compromiso a un proyecto político.
September 28, 2018
Although I don't share much of Harris previous theoretical or methodological work in Anthropology this book is quite interesting even for the present.
The topics discussed are long altered from todays world but the way Harris holistically analyze societal ills is fundamentally lacking in todays discourse, I think.
I would love to see a book like this but current issues!
The topics discussed are long altered from todays world but the way Harris holistically analyze societal ills is fundamentally lacking in todays discourse, I think.
I would love to see a book like this but current issues!
January 12, 2025
A thorough critique of modern American capitalism. Harris walks the reader through current economic and social conditions linked with capitalism, he makes clear that he doesn’t offer solutions but rather an answer to how we got here. An interesting read, although I’m a little confused about the section about homosexuality and “why the gays came out of the closet”.
March 6, 2019
I don't know if it has been updated, I rereading the first edition, still interesting, deep focusing in the matters that drive the modern society. The only complain is the over 30 years that has passed since the original. Anyway, worth reading.
August 24, 2022
Particular análisis sobre la cultura norteamericana que hay que tomar con distancia e interés en profundizar más allá de la obra para evitar caer en afirmaciones terriblemente simplistas sobre las mujeres, la inseguridad y la diversidad sexual.
June 1, 2024
Interesante, pero está centrado en su tiempo ('80) . En 40 años hay muchísimo análisis pendiente. Con cuestiones que marcaron la sociedad de forma tan grave como el 11S...
Me gusta su metodo y el marco teórico materialista en el que se mueve
Me gusta su metodo y el marco teórico materialista en el que se mueve
May 28, 2020
planned obsolescence
January 21, 2015
Probablemente su visión haya sido superada por nuevas lineas de investigación antropológica, pero entiendo que Marvin Harris es un autor de obligada lectura para enterarse de algo de lo que significa ser humano.
November 26, 2015
the weaker boob by Marvin Harris, in my opinion. And, on the other hand, it interesting to understand the american 70's and hiperindustrialization, but the book is obsolete for the new information era.
October 10, 2012
An interesting book, a little out of date, but still makes some good points
August 20, 2014
Highly speculative, queer, yet fairly amusing -- probably inadvertently so. I was quite surprised to learn that the author of this odd book was a department chair at Columbia.
February 28, 2016
Great book! Pissed me off about our culture. I learned many things. Everyone should read this book.
June 13, 2022
the original freakonomics. table of contents says it all. not his strongest book but a few neat ideas about american oligopoly, the roots of change, and the inseverability of eternity and necessity.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews