Marxist theoretical perspective

RE: founding figures of sociology + emotion

founding figures of social paid some attention to emotions; then emotions were ignored in 2nd + 3rd generations; BUT then sociolgoists have paid more attention since the 1970s *due to major hist events

Collins: aruges that emotions are central to 2 main foci of classical sociological theory—conflict + consensus

key social theorists for conflict + consensus views: 1)Marx on conflict 2)smith + durkheim on consensus

prof’s goal; introduce you to influential sociolgoical theories and to show how emotinality is central to them

soci perspectives of Marx

he was born + raised in genmany

trained philosopher

hard core optimist

tried to apply his ideas—critical sociologist

spent much of life in exile

colloborated with Engels—Engels as very influential in developing Marxist social theory

sociologist or ideologue?

Marx is one of the best-known figures in all world history; right up there with Napoleon, Jesus + Einstein

Marx was one of the 1st sociologists + enournously influential founding figure

marx created an ideology; this ideaology inspired ppl around the world + wht made him so famous/influential

Prof: disentangling his ideology from his social theory—focusing on social theory (*in this class)

dialectical (historical) materialism

marxist theory is complicated + there are diff interpretations of marxist theory

bc Marx/engels said diff things at diff times

at its core marxist theory as dialectical + materialism → dialectical materialsm

1)dialectic (Marx) — 4

dialectic: an understanding/perspective/belief of how works

borrowed concept from Hegel; present in Buddhist, Greek + Hinduism philosphy

suggest there are opposing forces; these forces interaction; this interaction create a new force

— this is the thesis, antithesis + synthesis

sees hist as the continuous unfolding of dialectical processes

marx; conflict perspective

marxism sees the dialectic as the basis of conflict btwn forces & their antithetical counterparts

suggests conflict is an extremely influential social foce — that sociolgists need to focus on it

dialectic is less conflictual + more unifying in Buddhism/Hinduism view of conflict (compare to marx’s view of conflict)

2)materialism (Marx) —

materialism: economic production is basis of social relations

economy determines all other sodiao relations (politics, family, religion, etc.)

individual: suggest that material aspects of our lives affect our norms, interests, how er perceive the world

if you want to understand s/o look at the economy they participate in + their position in it

dialectical materialism as theory of social change

marx combined the dialectic + materialsm to come up with elegant theory of social change

claims that economy is the source of dialectical conflict that drives the evolution of human societies

basic claim; mode of production is the thesis, it’s relations of production produce the antithesis and the resulting conflict produces a new synthesis resulting in a new mode of production

3 pt: forces/means of production, relations of production, mode of production

3 components of dialectical materialism (Marx)

1)forces (means) of production; material technologies used to exploit the environment to make possible “societies”

2)relations of production: relations that govern the forces of production — how ppl interact to produce things using forces of production

3)mode of production: combination of forces and relations