Functionalism, Marx and neo

What is a consensus theory?

a theory that argues social institutions work together to maintain social cohesion and stability

What is a structural theory?

a theory that focuses on how social institutions shape society and individual behaviour

What does value consensus mean?

the shared agreement among most members of society about goals norms and values

What are the three similarities between society and biological organisms?

society is a system of interdependent parts society has system needs and institutions perform functions for the whole

What is the organic analogy and who used it?

Parsons idea that society works like the human body with institutions functioning like organs

What is formal social control?

official agencies like the police and CJS enforcing laws and maintaining order

What is informal social control?

family peers and community using sanctions and pressure to maintain norms

What does anomie mean?

a state of normlessness where individuals lack clear norms and feel disconnected from society

What are social facts and who is the key thinker?

Durkheim argues social facts are external norms values and institutions that constrain individuals

What does society shapes the individual mean?

functionalism is top down and institutions determine individual behaviour

What is social solidarity and how is it maintained?

cohesion created through socialisation into shared norms and values preventing anomie

What is goal attainment in Parsons AGIL model?

societies set goals and allocate power and resources through political institutions

What is adaptation in Parsons AGIL model?

society must provide for members needs through economic institutions

What is integration in Parsons AGIL model?

institutions like education and media reduce conflict and create belonging

What is latency in Parsons AGIL model?

pattern maintenance and tension management that stabilise value consensus

What is a manifest function?

the intended function of an institution such as the Hopi rain dance aiming to bring rain

What is a latent function?

the unintended function of an institution such as the rain dance increasing social solidarity

What is Mertons criticism of indispensability?

not all institutions are essential and there are functional alternatives

What is Mertons criticism of functional unity?

not all institutions are tightly linked for example banking and education are distant

What is Mertons criticism of universal functionalism?

not all institutions benefit everyone and some are dysfunctional such as domestic abuse

What is the teleological criticism of functionalism?

it explains things by their effects rather than their causes

What is the contradiction criticism of functionalism?

something cannot be both functional and dysfunctional at the same time

What is the unscientific criticism of functionalism?

it cannot be tested or falsified making it unscientific

What is the conflict perspective criticism of functionalism?

it ignores conflict and inequality and supports the status quo and power of elites

What is the action perspective criticism of functionalism?

Wrong argues it is deterministic and treats individuals as puppets

What is the postmodernist criticism of functionalism?

it cannot explain diversity and instability and is an outdated meta narrative

What is a conflict theory?

a theory that argues society is based on conflict between groups and in Marxism this conflict is between social classes

What does bourgeoisie mean?

the ruling class who own the means of production and control economic and political power

What does proletariat mean?

the working class who sell their labour and are exploited by the bourgeoisie

What does alienation mean?

the process where workers become separated from their labour the products they create and their human potential

What does false class consciousness mean?

the proletariat believe their oppression is normal and believe hard work will allow them to become bourgeoisie

What is the Marxist structure of capitalist society?

the base of means of production and relations of production shapes the superstructure of ideology law and institutions

What are the means of production?

land natural resources factories and technology owned by the bourgeoisie

What are the relations of production?

the social relationships between owners and workers based on exploitation

What are the five stages of society according to Marx?

primitive communism feudal society capitalist society socialism and communism

What is primitive communism?

a classless society with shared ownership and no exploitation

What is feudal society?

landowners and peasants in a rigid hierarchy

What is capitalist society?

bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat for profit

What is socialism?

the state owns the means of production on behalf of workers

What is communism?

a classless stateless society with collective ownership and no alienation

What are the features of capitalist society?

proletariat are legally free competition concentrates ownership and workers receive only subsistence wages

What are the features of communist society?

collective ownership no profit motive no classes and end of alienation

What is the oversimplification criticism of Marxism?

Marx focuses only on class but Weber argues inequality also comes from status and power and feminists argue gender inequality is greater

What is the two class criticism of Marxism?

modern society has more than two classes and class structure is more complex

What is economic determinism?

the criticism that Marx reduces everything to economic factors and ignores ideas and culture

What is the lack of revolution criticism?

Marx predicted revolution in advanced capitalist societies but revolutions occurred in less developed countries

What is the out of date criticism?

capitalism is less exploitative due to welfare states regulation and autonomous institutions

What is humanistic neo marxism?

Gramscis theory that ruling class maintain dominance through hegemony using coercion and consent

What does hegemony mean?

ruling class ideological dominance accepted by the rest of society

What is coercion in neo marxism?

the use of police army and state force to maintain ruling class power

What is consent in neo marxism?

persuading the working class that ruling class ideas are legitimate

What does voluntarism mean?

the idea that workers choose to accept ruling class ideology

What are the reasons ruling class hegemony is never complete?

ruling class are a minority and working class have dual consciousness

What is dual consciousness?

workers partly accept ruling class ideas but also see their exploitation through their material conditions

What are organic intellectuals?

class conscious workers who organise a revolutionary movement to create counter hegemony

What is structural neo marxism?

Althussers theory that society is shaped by three levels economic political and ideological

What is the repressive state apparatus?

institutions like police courts and military that use coercion

What is the ideological state apparatus?

institutions like education media and family that manipulate beliefs

What are the three levels of structural determinism?

economic level political level and ideological level

What does relative autonomy mean?

the political and ideological levels have some independence from the economic base

What is the requirement for socialism in humanistic neo marxism?

creation of counter hegemony by the working class

What is the requirement for socialism in structural neo marxism?

transformation of economic political and ideological structures

What is the criticism of humanistic neo marxism?

it underestimates coercive power of the state which prevents revolutionary movements

What is the criticism of structural neo marxism?

it discourages activism ignores working class struggles and is elitist according to Thompson

What is humanistic neo marxism?

Gramscis approach that focuses on hegemony and how ruling class maintain dominance through ideas coercion and consent

What does hegemony mean?

ruling class ideological dominance accepted by the rest of society through consent and coercion

What is coercion in neo marxism?

the use of police army and state force to make working class accept ruling class ideology

What is consent in neo marxism?

persuading working class that ruling class ideas are legitimate and natural

What does voluntarism mean?

the belief that working class choose to accept ruling class ideology rather than being forced

What are the reasons ruling class hegemony is never complete?

ruling class are a minority and working class have dual consciousness

What is dual consciousness?

workers partly accept ruling class ideas but also recognise their exploitation through their material conditions

What are organic intellectuals?

class conscious workers who organise revolutionary movements and create counter hegemony

What is counter hegemony?

an alternative ideology created by working class to challenge ruling class dominance

What is structural neo marxism?

Althussers theory that society is shaped by three levels economic political and ideological

What is the repressive state apparatus?

institutions like police courts and military that use force and coercion to maintain ruling class power

What is the ideological state apparatus?

institutions like education media and family that manipulate beliefs and create false class consciousness

What are the three levels of structural determinism?

economic level political level and ideological level

What is the economic level?

activities that produce goods and meet needs and dominate capitalist society

What is the political level?

organisations including RSA that enforce order and maintain ruling class power

What is the ideological level?

ways people see themselves and the world shaped by ISA which create false class consciousness

What does relative autonomy mean?

the political and ideological levels have partial independence from the economic base and can influence each other

What is the requirement for socialism in humanistic neo marxism?

creation of counter hegemony by working class to overthrow ruling class ideology

What is the requirement for socialism in structural neo marxism?

transformation of economic political and ideological structures through revolutionary change

What is the criticism of humanistic neo marxism?

it underestimates coercive power of the state which prevents formation of revolutionary movements

What is the criticism of structural neo marxism?

it discourages activism ignores working class struggles and is elitist according to Thompson

What is the elitism criticism of Althusser?

he suggests people follow ideology blindly and need intellectuals to free them