CI: Marxism

Question 1

what is Marxism?

Answer 1

Marxism is a structural conflict theory.=> society is based on class conflict.

(they believes…..)
-structural of capitalism affects individuals

• individual is less important than social structural of society
• individual are product of class relationship within capitalism.
• capitalism divides people into two social groups : bourgeoisie(ruling class) &proletariats( working class)
• ruling class benefit by the expense of working class

Question 1

Marx believes structure of society is divided into 2 parts . Name two types of structure of society.

Answer 1

1. The economic base:
   - determines everything in society
   - it consists the means of production( goods, land factories)
2. The super structure:
   - includes societies insinuations (family, education)
   - the ideology (ideas, beliefs) -> determined by economic system/ruling class-> culture and socialisation is product of ruling class.

Question 2

what does Marx believe working class people are treated in capitalist society?

Answer 2

-> means of production are privately owned
-> argue that workers produced ‘extra’(‘surplus values’/profit)
than what’s needed for employers (owners)
BUT, workers don’t get full values of their work => and exploited for their labour.

Question 3

interactionist’s Evaluation for Marx’s ideas about working class in capitalist society.

Answer 3

argue that Marxists ignore freedom of choice

people ‘choose’ rather than being ‘brainwashed’

Question 4

Functionalist’s Evaluation for Marx’s ideas about working class in capitalist society.

Answer 4

they believe society is structure

DO NOT agree with Marxism’s view that structure is based on class conflict
rather than value consensus

Question 5

Weber ‘s Evaluation for Marx’s ideas about working class in capitalist society.

Answer 5

argue economic base/ superstructure model
neglects the role of ‘ideas’

Question 6

class conflict & Exploitations- key area 2
what does Marx says ruling class and working class want ?( wages, profit)

Answer 6

working class-> want more wage to improve standard of living

ruling class-> want less wages to maximise the profit.

Question 7

class conflict & Exploitations- key area 2

what is Marx’s solution of class inequality ? what are the challenges to this .

Answer 7

making working class to revolt the class system and abundant the system of capitalism -> based on inequality
and create more fair society based on communist principles.

However,
This is hard to achieve because society is based on exploitative relationship
Both of these are not possible => therefore conflict exist.

Marxist argue that working class rarely challenges their unequal and exploited position-> due to dominant ideology which is learnt by insinuations such as (family ,school ,media and religion)

Question 8

which sociologist talks about ISA? what is about?

Answer 8

Althusser

ideological state apparatus(ISA) &superstructure(school, religion ,family) teaches inequality in society is natural and ‘normal’=> which is made by a ruling class to maintain working class exploitation.

Question 9

what is Marxist’s evaluation on class conflict & Exploitations- key area 2?

Answer 9

Marxism-> too much focus on conflict but ignores the fact that capitalism brought improvement in living standards for all social classes

-> Marxism= ‘economically deterministic’
-> ignores that culture may reflect patriarchal interest, certain ethnic group

Question 10

what is Radical Feminist’s evaluation on class conflict & Exploitations- key area 2?

Answer 10

main conflict is not between class but instead between gender

Question 11

what is Marxists feminist’s evaluation on class conflict & Exploitations- key area 2?

Answer 11

believe the principles of the Marxist argument but sees working class as women. so, working class (women) is exploited by ruling class (men).

Question 12

what does Marxist says about socialisation ?

Answer 12

Marxist argues that socialisation is an ideological process - aim of transmitting ruling class ideas that society is fact meritocratic.(fair)
and brainwashing the false ideas to working class people.

Question 13

what does Marxists talk about capitalist society?

Answer 13

Marxist argue that capitalist ideology shapes the way of life of a society -> they use agents of insinuations(family , media, education)
-> e.g. adverts makes us think that we need to buy the product as it seen as ‘making us happy’

-> Marcuse-> calls this as ‘false need’ and ‘false consciousness’ which maintains class inequality
=> this is due to polarisation between classes and low wages
-> due to competition within capitalism in workers.

in result they’ll realise exploitation and rebel against the ruling class!

Question 14

key area 3: ideologies and socialisation.

what is Neo-Marxist’s Evaluation?

Answer 14

argue traditional Marxism as they think that not all working class are ‘passive’ into dominant ideology, But believe they can change by rebelling through creating oppositional subcultures.

ex) skinhead -1960 and Willis’s - the Lads

Question 15

key area 3: ideologies and socialisation.

what is Redical feminist’s Evaluation?

Answer 15

believe socialisation of dominant ideology can be a form of indoctrination( 세뇌) of patriarchal ideology.

Question 16

what is Marxist’s view on role of Education?

Answer 16

Althusser: education is dominated by the hidden curriculum that is taught informally to students.

Marxist believes ruling class ideology is taught through the hidden curriculum -> which encourages acceptance of capitalist system and conformity.

->argues that students are not provided with educational knowledge that challenges existence of capitalisem.

Marxists believe education socialise students into…
-> uncritical acceptance of hierarchy
->obedience
-> failure
-> working class are taught to see failure as their fault rather than seeing the result of certain process benefiting ruling class.

ruling class want unskilled, uneducated manual labour force

Question 17

Functionalist’s evaluation for role of education

Answer 17

disagree with Marxists’ view But agree that it socialise all individuals into a common culture based on values consensus.

Question 18

interactionist’s evaluation for role of education

Answer 18

Dennis Wrong, : argues that socialisation through education system is not ‘passive’. but a negotiated process -> individual actively engage.

Question 19

Neo-Marxist’s evaluation for role of education

Answer 19

also argues with interactionist’s view that education system is not ‘passive’ but negotiated process.

Example) Paul Willis’ -study ‘ the Lads’
-> shows pupils rebelling at the capitalist ideology in education-
> this creates anti-school subculture.

Question 20

Radical Feminist’s evaluation for role of education

Answer 20

argue that socialisation process is not legitimating and reinforcing class inequalities.
BUT it reinforces patriarchal oppression though
e.g. hidden curriculum, uniform, language differences from teachers and subject choices

Question 21

what does Miliband talk about the role of media ?

Answer 21

Miliband:
-> ruling class use media to transmit dominant /capitalist ideology to proletariat (working class)=> this can create harmful mass culture

-> we learn our class inequality though media

-> Media is a “new opium to the people”

Question 22

which sociologist does talk about the ‘popular culture’ is the ‘false culture’ in the role of media ?

Answer 22

Marsh and Keating:

-> popular culture is false culture. designed and packed by capitalism
-> to keep masses content

Question 23

which sociologist talks about ‘false needs’ in the role of media?

Answer 23

Marcuse:

-> argues that popular culture negatively effect on culture-> this is because as it creates ‘false needs’ (buying not essential goods)

-> false needs=> discourages critical thoughts (realising ) social inequalities caused by capitalism.
and socialised not able to think ourselves.

Question 24

Feminists’ evaluation on role of media

Answer 24

criticise Marxist for focusing exclusively on class and capitalist ideology=> therefore, failing account for gender stereotypes on media

Question 25

interactionists’ evaluation on role of media

Answer 25

disagree with feminist’s view on Marxists focusing too much on class and capitalist ideology . from ‘action’ base approch the ‘active audience model’-> audience is not passively consuming media ->
they have choice and can be critical.