Alienation: A Response to Stress

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Abstract
Contemporary stress paradigms provide one basis for developing a systems theory that specifies causal linkages between social structure, alienation, and perceptual style. Within the proposed theory, five alienation syndromes serve as alternate methods of coping with psychological and physiobiochemical stress reactions. Stress levels derive from the countervailing influences of resources and social-structural stressors. The cognitive component of each alienation syndrome feeds back cybernetically to reduce psychological stress, while the affective component operates in an equivalent manner to reduce physiobiochemical stress. Jointly, the two components also condition perceptual style. To reduce alienation, interventions that enhance resources are suggested for the intermediate range future. Planned changes to eliminate structural stressors are viewed as long-range efforts requiring future research.

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