MARXISM

Historical marxism

Over time, people developed tools and machines to assist in the means of production to meet their materialistic needs(e.g shelter). As this grew, division of labour grew, with owners of the means of production and labourers. This is the mode of production, being a capitalist one, forming the economic base of society determining all other features such as the superstructure(institutions and beliefs).

Class society and exploitation

In the earliest stage of society, there was primitive communism, where everything was shared and their was no capitalism. But in class societies, one owns means of production, allowing for exploitation and the control of societies surplus product(difference between what the labours produce and what is needed to keep them alive and working)

Anicent society - based on exploitation of slaves legally tied to their owners.

Feudal society - Based on exploitation of serfs legally tied to the land

Capitalist society - Based on the exploitation of free wage labourers.

Capitalism - 3 key features

1.Proletariat are legally free and separated from the means of production, as they dont own it they have to sell their labour power in order for wages to survive. But, proletariat dont recieve the value from this, it just keeps them alive.

2.Through comp between capitalists, ownership of the means of production becomes concentrated, until vast majority are proletariatenised.

3.Capitalism expands forces of production, deskilling the proletariat causing polarisation, dividing them into a minority capitalist class and a majority working class.

Class consciousness

Capitalism creates the conditions of which the working class can develop a conciousness of its own interests in opposition to its exploiters.

Ideology

Those who own the means of production also own the means of mental production(means of ideas). controlling the dominant ideas in society and the institutions that spread them such as religion, fostering a false consciousness.

Alienation

The loss of our labour and its products and thus, separation from our true nature. Thrives under capitalism as workers have no control over their production, and the division of labour is most intense and detailed, reducing workers mindlessly.

The state, revolution and communism

State is ‘armed bodies of men’, protecting the ruling class. proletariat revolution will happen to abolish the state and make a classless communist society, abolishing exlpoitation and ending alienation.

Criticism - Marx’s view of class

One-dimensional, seeing class as the only important division,feminists argue that gender is a more fundamental source of inequality. Aswell as this, the class model is simplistic, Weber stated there was skilled + unskilled classes, and a white cllar middle class, plus petty bourgeosie.

Criticism - Economic determinism

Marx assumes that economic factors are the sole cause of everything in society, failing to acknowledge that humans have free will and concious action.

Gramsci and hegemony

Humanistic marxism, introducing ideological and moral leadership of society to explain how the ruling class maintains its position. The proletariat must develop a ‘counter-hegemony’ to revolt. Maintains in two ways: Coercion - Uses the state(army,police) to force other classes to accept its rule. Consent - Uses idead/values to persuade the subordinate classes that its rule is legit.

Gramsci and hegemony - Hegemony and revolution

Insitutions are used to maintain hegemony, but this is never complete:

The rulng class are a minority - To rule, they need to create power blocs by allying with other groups such as the M/C.

The proletariat have a dual consciousness - Their ideas are influenced by the material conditions of life(poverty and exploitation) and also the bourgeosie, so they can ‘see’ through the hegemony to some degree.

So revolution will happen if they construct a counter hegemonic bloc, offering moral and ideological worship to society, with ‘organic intellectuals’ who are class conscious workers able to form a political party.

Criticisms of Gramsci

Over emphasies the role of ideas and under emphasies the role of economic factors, the proletariat may see the control, but be scared of repression and unemployment so they cant overthrow.

Althusser Structuralist marxism