Conflict theories Flashcards

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1
Q

What are conflict theories?

A

-conflict theorists like Marxism, feminism and weberian argue that social inequalities it is difficult to achieve consensus in society, as what serves the interests of the powerful or dominant groups may go directly against the interests of subordinate groups in society

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2
Q

How do conflict theories use ideology?

A

-they use the concept of sociology to describe how powerful groups put across ideas that justify their own position and hello to make the existing social system appear to be fair and legitimate

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3
Q

What is Marxism?

A
  • Marxism is probably the most influential conflict theory in sociology and drives from the ideas of the German writer and political revolutionary Marx (1818-83)
  • Marx argued that historically all societies, apart from the most simple hunting and gathering societies, are based on class divisions between those who benefit from the economic system and those who do not
  • Marx described the economic system of modern industrial societies, such as the UK and the US, as capitalist societies
  • they are based on a ruling class (Bourgeois) of capitalists, people who own capital or wealth and invest it in running businesses to make a profit, and a working class (proletariat) comprising the majority of people who have little or no health and who therefore have to work for wages
  • Marx argued that this is an unequal and exploitative system in which most of the profits created by businesses go to the owners while the labour to create this wealth is performed by the workers
  • Marx argued that eventually the working class would become aware of their exploited position and would overthrow capitalism and create a communist society through revolution where the means of production would be taken over by the workers and run for the benefit of everyone (communist)
  • the superstructure includes all of the cultural institutions of society and is shaped by the requirements of the infrastructure, the economic sstem that provides for peoples material needs
  • Marxists today see capitalist societies as being just as unequal and exploitative as they were in the 19th century
  • however they would accept that in most western societies there is little sign of the communist revolution that Marx foresaw as inevitable
  • modern Marxists such as
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4
Q

What did styliser day about ideology?

A

Althusser (1971) argue that capitalist societies have survived not simply by forcing workers to accept the system but by the developing ideological system and its class inequalities

  • ideological state apparatuses include the education system, mass media, and even religious organisations
  • for example, the media in the form of television, newspapers, cinema and pop music helps to entertain the workers and make their lives more bearable and also encourage them to see the consumption of goods created by capitalist businesses as a priority
  • all of this diverts attention away from the real inequalities in society and created businesses as a priority
  • all of this diverts attention away from the real inequalities in society and creates what Marx called false consciousness, whereby the working class cannot see any alternative to the existing system
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5
Q

What is the evaluation of Marxism?

A
  • Marxism became one of the most influential approaches to sociology from the 1960s onwards and Marx ideas have been interpreted in a number of different ways by different groups of sociologists
  • many sociologists are attracted to Marxism because it offers a more critical view of capitalist societies than theories such as functionalise
  • since the 1980s social inequalities have widened in many western societies
  • Marxism, with its focus on the way the capitalist system benefits the wealthiest groups, offers a plausible explanation of this
  • however, Marxists have also faced criticism from other sociologists
  • for example the idea that the working class are brain washed into a false consciousness by capitalist ideology has been attacked for suggesting that people are not conscious of their own interests
  • it could be argues that though capitalist societies are very unequal, most of the working class still enjoy a much higher standard of living under capitalism than in societies that precede it - or indeed in communist societies, supposedly based on Marxism, such as the former Society Union
  • Marxism also mainly focuses on divisions and inequalities of class
  • other sociologists have argued that other forms of inequality may also create significant divisions and conflicts in society, such as those based on gender, nationalism, ethnicity and religion
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6
Q

What are weberian theories?

A
  • the German sociologist Weber (1864-1920) disagreed with the way Marx analysed social inequalities
  • he argued that differences of status and power were important and were not always linked to economic or class inequalities
  • a good example of this is ethnic inequalities, minority ethnic groups - for example, black and Asian people In the UK - may be treated less favourably in the workplace for their appearance even when they come from relatively well off backgrounds, even when they come from relatively well off backgrounds
  • thus ethnicity can be seen to be linked to stat is rather than social class
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7
Q

What are feminist societies?

A
  • feminists argue that in most societies, women have been disadvantaged compared to men as men often control the key institutions in society, such as in businesses and family relationships
  • feminism has encouraged sociologists to focus much more on gender inequalities and women experiences of the social world
  • like Marxists, feminists use the concept of ideology but refer to patriarchal ideologies, ideas that help to justify menus dominandy and women subordiante place in society
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