"One of the main theses of the Marienthal study was that prolonged unemployment leads to a state of apathy in which the victims do not utilize any longer even the few opportunities left to them. The vicious cycle between reduced opportunities and reduced level of aspiration has remained the focus of all subsequent discussions." So begin the opening remarks to the English-language edition of what has become a major classic in the literature of social stratification.

This study was conducted in 1930 in Austria during the depression, and examines the prolonged effects of unemployment on workers. It combines statistical data, case studies, historical background and reports to offer an insight into how creative innovations can assist in overcoming deprivation.