Marxism - Sociology

Who is the founder of Marxism?

Karl Marx

what period was Marxism theorized?

during the industrial revolution; most people worked in factoriesand experienced poor working conditions. This led Marx to analyze class struggle and capitalism.

what kind of theory is Marxism?

a structural, conflict, macro (large) level theory that focuses on the struggles between different social classes for resources and power. (rich vs poor)

whilst marxism is a way to make equal society it is NOT the same as communism but is..

the opposite of capitalism (which produces inequality)

the industrial revolution created 2 classes, what were they?

factory owners and factory workers

marxism is the opposite of capitalism, but why?

capitalism is based on exploitation and inequality, people work, earn money and exchange it for things.

define Marxism

Marxism is a conflict theory that aims to create a total theory of society by linking individual motivations to the wider societal structural context. [no individuals]

what is marx’s main idea?

marx’s main idea was that the economic system (aka classes) determines the social structure; therefore known as structural, conflict, macro level theory. As a result, the factory owners (owners of the economic system) are argue to control society, also constructing values and social relationships that reflect their own interests - working class generally accepts these values and social relationships as they have less power, less likely to be able to challenge system.

what values do working class share with school values

attendance - obedience - punctuality - hard working - few holidays - quiet - honest

Define mode of production

A mode of production is a complete economic and social system based on different ways of organising the production of goods.

three examples of modes of production

capitalism, feudalism and communism (the only one not based on exploitation)

define means of production

the means of production are all of the ‘things’ needed to produce goods and the wealth that comes from them

examples of means of production

land labour - initial investment - resources (eg wood) - good transport links - factory buildings - machinery - energy (gas, fuel, coal, water)

what are the names for the working/ruling classes?

ruling class - bourgeoisie

working class - proletariat

what is capitalism

in capitalism and other non-communist societies, one class owns or controls the means of production whilst the class or classes that do not are forced to work. eg working on a farm as they don’t own the land to farm themselves.

according to marxists, the means of production are always becoming more complex and advanced, what does this mean for the bourgeoisie

the bourgeoisie are able to produce greater wealth

why dont the proletariat rise up?

the majority of the population accept the inequalities of this system because the dominant institutions such as religion and education reinforce and justify the current social situation. This is described by Marx as people suffering from ‘false consciousness’ so they don’t realise that their interests as a collective class lie in changing society rather than settling for current ways.

what is the marxist equivalent to institutions?

agency of socialisation

How does family (agency of socialisation) maintain capitalism, with examples of values and norms

families are generally led by the father, he is the ‘bread winner’ and goes to work to earn salary