Marxism

what does marxism have in common with functionalism?

shares the view that society is a structure/system that shares individuals behaviours and ideas

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how does marxism differ from functionalism?

conflict of interests- marxists thing that economical differences in society is wrong
instability and change- they stress the sudden revolutionary change, stability only due to the class differences

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what are the similarities between marx and durkheims ideas?

marx saw harm caused by modern industrial society in 19th century and believed society could be understood scientifically and that this could better society (scientific socialism)

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how did marx see historical change?

-saw a contradictory process where capitalism would increase human misery before giving way to classes communist societies which humans could fill potential freely

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how does marx say this society can be brought into being?

by changing societies/world, not just interpreting beliefs

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whats materialism?

where human beings need material needs such as food, shelter or clothes and in order to meet these needs, they need to work

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why do humans enter into social relations go production?

as production grows, so do social relations of production so humans enter these social relations as a result

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which 2 classes emerge from this?

bourgeoisie
proletariat

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what is mode of production, economic base and superstructure?

-relates to forces and relations of production ie capitalism happens in our current society
economic base- what the economic state of society is currently, which determines other features of society ie;

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continuing w previous card

superstructure (of institutions, ideas, beliefs)- shapes nature of religion, law, education, state, etc

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what are the features of primitive communism?

there are no classes, no private ownership, no exploitation, everyone worms and everything is shared

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whats surplus product?

the difference between what labourers produces and what is needed the keep them alive

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what 3 societies are there and what exploitation do they have?

ancient society- slaves legally ties to owners
feudal society- serfs (labourer) legally tied to land
capitalist society- free wage labourers

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what are the 3 features of capitalist society?

-wc legally free not to work but don't have a choice, they need to work to survive + get money
-competition between capitalists so means of production is in fewer and fewer hands
-expands productions in look for profit, due to-

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continuing w previous card

-technological advancement and the skill of workforce, class polarisation becomes more and more present

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how is capitalism open to its own destruction?

-polarising classes causing more and more wc to come together and realise they are being treated badly, causing wc to have their own interests in economic/political views

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whats the difference between class in itself and a class for itself?

class in itself is where embers occupy the same economic position
class for itself is where members who are class consciousness and aware capitalism needs to be overthrown

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whats mental production and who controls is?

mental production is the production of ideas and controlling ppl through that
mc control it

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whats ideologies?

set s of ideas and beliefs that legitimise the existing social order as desirable or inevitable

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whats false consciousness?

helping sustain class inequality as capitalism keeps the workers so they develop class consciousness, seeing past the capitalist ideology and become aware of their wc position.

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what is alienation and what causes it?

making ppl feel powerless and isolated, it due to our loss of control and labour

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why does alienation peak in capitalist societies?

-workers are separated from and have no control over the forces of production
-division of labour is most intense and detail, ie workers reduced to an unskilled labourer repeating mindless meaningless tasks

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what is the function of the state according to marx?

to protect the interests of the class of owners who control it

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why would proletarian revolution be different to other revolutions in Mars pov?

as proletarian is the majority in this case, not minority vs minority

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what are 3 consequences of the proletarian revolution?

-abolish state and create a classless communist society
-abolish exploitation and replace private ownership with social ownership, replace production to satisfy human needs

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continuing hing w previous card

-end alienation as humans regain control of their labour and its products

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where would revolution come first?

in the most capitalist societies

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what are 3 criticisms of marxs views?

-simplistic- one view of inequality he sees class as the only division, Weber argues status and power cam contribute ie 'power elite;' that runs no production
-feminists say gender should be seen too

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continuing w previous card

-2 class model theory is simplistic- weber subdivides the wc into skilled/unskilled or white
-class polarisation hasn't occurred- mc has gown, wc has shrunk due to industrial but in china and India its growing

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continuing w previous card

-economic determinism- economic factors isn't the cause of everything, humans have free will that can bring change
-weber neglects role of ideas in base- superstructure model

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continuing w previous card

-the revolution should've happened in wstrn areas, but Russia in 1917 had a marxist led revolution

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whats the humanistic/critical approach?
which sociologist is associated with these ideas?

early ideas of alienation and ppl subjective experience of the world, political critique of capitalism as 'alienating and inhumane', want to overthrow it
-believes in voluntarism (humans have free will)

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continuing w previous card

-believes socialism will come when ppl become conscious of the need to overthrow capitalism (encourages political action)
Gramsci

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whats scientific/structuralist marxism?
which sociologist talks about these ideas?

focuses on later work, talks about laws of capitalism, etc
-believes its a science, discovers laws that government works of capitalism
-determinism, structural factors determine the-

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continuing w previous card

-cause of history of individuals are passive puppets
-scoialsim will come when contradictions of capitalism bring the system to collapse

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what sociologist talks about hegemony and what is it?

Gramsci
hegemony is idealogical and moral leadership of society

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what is coercion and consent?

coercion when using army, police, prisons and courts of capitalists state to force other classes to accept its rule
consent (hegemony) is using ideas and values to persuade subordinate classes that its rule is legitimate

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how does this keep dominance?

this enables the ruling class to maintain its position, the wc must develop a counter-hegemony to win leadership of society (after wc see the gap between mc and wc)

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how does the ruling class prevent a revolution to Gramsci?

using institutions such as media, education, religion and state, the ruling class produces and spreads ideas which makes society accept ruling class so no revolution occurs

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list and explain 2 reasons why the hegemony of the ruling class is never complete?

the ruling class are a minority- a power bloc is created by making alliances with other groups
the proletariat have a dual consciousness- ideas have influenced by not only mc but also their material conditions of life- the poverty and exploitation-

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continuing w previous card

-they experience, meaning they cant see through the dominant ideology to some point

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what is counter-hegemonic bloc?

when economic crisis occurs snd material conditions worsen, wc can question the status quo, this can lead to a revolution which offers morals and idealogical leadership to society

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what are organic intellectuals?

socialists view over capitalists view
wc can only win the battle for ideas by producing own organic intellectuals- where a body of class conscious workers organise in a revolutionary political party, who are able to formulate an-

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continuing w previous card

-alternative vision of society

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name the evaluations of this

-gramsci is under-emphasising the role of state coercion and economic factors ie workers may want to overthrow but are worried
-workers may tolerate capitalism to be financially stable

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continuing w previous card

+willis supports with his lads study- they were partially penetrating bourgeois ideology by seeing through wc ideology and recognising school wasn't needed if they would just end up working for them anyways

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how does structuralist marxists differ from humanistic marxists?
which sociologist suggests this?

Althusser-structuralist
humanist marxists see humans as creative beings that can make history through their conscious actions but structuralist marxists believe social structures shape history and this should be-

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continuing w previous card

-proved scientifically by sociologists

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what are the 3 levels of society Althusser mentions?

-the economic level- compromising all those activities that involve producing something in order to satisfy a need
-the political level- compromising all forms of organisation

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continuing w previous card

-the ideological level- including the ways that ppl sees themselves and their world

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what is meant by relative autonomy?

partial independence from the economic level

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how does the base superstructure model differ from Althussers model?

in the bsm there is one way causality, the economic level determines everything about the other 2 levels, but this model shows how political and idealogical levels aren't a reflection of the economic level as other can affect the economy (two way causalit

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what are the 2 state apparatuses?

-repressive state apparatus- armed bodies which use force
-idealogical state apparatus- media, education, etc to control wc

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how does this link to coercion and consent?

they both go over the idea of securing dominance of the mc and controlling wc

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name the evaluations of this

-marx thinks we a re puppets of society as the idea of free will is an illusion
-humanists think we cant believe we are free agents as it gives us false consciousness
-humanistic marx think socialism will come from-

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continuing w previous card

- ppl revolving and overthrowing the system, but Althusser think the crisis of masculinity will result in contradictions and then revolts
-gouldner says this discourages poltictcial activism as it stresses the role of structural factors that individuals-

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continuing w previous card

-cant do anything to effect it
-Thomas thinks this view is elitist as it ignores the active struggles of the wc that change society and that communism is the best fro workers without asking them

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Marxism

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