Looked back at primitive communism - everyone worked and shared equally
Then people developed tools and machines to assist in production > 2 class system = labourers and those who owned means of prouction
The superstructure in society rose from this base - so the ideas of capitalism shape education, law, media etc.
Wc sell labour for wages to survive but are exploited
State protects ruling class by transmitting ideology - maintains false CC
Marx forsees revolution to overthrow = classless communism
Weber critical - 2-class model is too simplistic - subdivides proletariart into skilled and unskilled classes, and white-collar class of office workers and a petty bourgeoisie (small capitalist)
Weber critical of polarisation - hasn't occurred - mc grown and wc shrunk in West socitiers, but vice versa in India and China due to globalisation
Not relevant - outdated, no longer have 2-class structure - have continually mc today
Not relevant - communist revolutions in past but have failed
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Marxism - Althusser
Althusser
Rejects Marx's base - proposes more complex idea of structural determinism
Model - capiatlist society has 3 levels: political and ideological levels have relative autonomy to economic - so two-way causality
Also divides the state into 2 apparatuses: RSA are bodies that coerce wc into complying e.g. army, prisons, police. ISA are bodies that manipulate wc into accepting capiatlism as legit e.g. medi, education, family, religion
Strength - rejected economic determinism and proposed new model to help understanding of society
Craib - Althusser offers most sophisticated conception of social structure available in social sciences
Thompson critical - accuses of elitism, assumes communist party knows best so wc should follow them
Relevant - still RSA e.g. police
Relevant - replaced Marx's theory, so recognises society is changing and becoming more complex
Not relevant - ruling class no longer own all ISA
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Marxism - Gramsci
Gramsci
Uses concept of hegemony to explain maintainence of ruling class
Agrees with Marx - ruling class control institutions and use them to spread ideas to prevent revolution
But, always the chance of ruling class heegmony being underminded in an economic criss as wc may see through it
Revolution if body of workers create a revolutionary political party and create counter-hegemony
Their ideological leadership would be based on socialist not capitalist values
Criticised - overemphasies role of ideas ad underemphasises role of coercion e.g. wc may wish to revolt, but fear state repression - may tolerate capitalism bc no choice
Today, many workers plan strikes for eqaulity but they're cancelled due to coericon and job threats from bosses
Paul Willis' study Lads - they partially saw through the rules and school's ideology and realised meritocracy = myth
Relevant - applicable today e.g ideas spread through media - media's widespread now
Relevant - idea of dual consciousness still exists e.g. product of strikes are worry for not having money for family's needs
Not relevant - people have more freedom - no longer 2-class divide
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