Social change has been a result of relationships of economic production. We are now in Capitalist society where the main social relationships are those of work, which are unequal so the owners of the means of production can make profit
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What is the Economic Infrastructure?
The base of society made up of the means of production and relations of production
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What is the Superstructure?
The other parts of society such as the family, education, religion and media which maintains and legitimates the base.
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What is Marx's main argument?
The proletariat are being exploited by the bourgeoisie and become alienated from their lives, more concerned with being wage slaves in repitive, unskilled jobs to afford material goods
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Why don't the proletariat rebel?
The proletariat are in false class consciousness since the bourgeoisie brainwash the proletariat with their dominant ideology, teaching them oppressive norms and values which discourage revolutionary tendencie
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What is the polarisation of wealth?
The idea that the bourgeoisie will become richer and richer and the proletariat will become poorer and poorer. Eventually they will be so poor and it will become obvious they are being exploited and they will regain class cosciousness
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When can the proletariat rise up in revolution?
When they achieve class consciousness and see themselves as a common group
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What does humanistic Marxism (Neo-Marxists) argue?
The bourgeoisie have to actively win the consent of the proletariat in society so they do have some awareness of their exploitation. The bourgeoisie persuade the w/c their power is legitimate, lawful and reasonable i.e. hegemony
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What does Structural Marxism (Neo-Marxists) argue?
Capitalism is made up of three layers: Infrastructure, the government and the Superstructure. The government control the repressive and ideological state apparatus
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Give one criticism of Neo-Marxism
They have moved too far away from Marx
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Give two criticisms of Marxism
Rather than classes becoming polarised, a new, complex middle class has developed. The theory is too deterministic and ignores the free will of the individual to make their own choices
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What is the Economic Infrastructure?
Back
The base of society made up of the means of production and relations of production
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