exam 2 week 7 Flashcards
What is the overall theme of critical political economy?
emphasizes that power structures are central to understanding economic processes
- it argues that economic outcomes are shaped by the interests, ideologies, and practices of powerful actors like governments and elites, rather than by neutral market forces
- power is not just economic but also political, social, and cultural, influencing the distribution of wealth, resources and opportunities
What is the conflict between the profit motive and human need in capitalist structures, according to Critical Political Economy?
While capitalism prioritizes profit maximization, it often neglects or exploits human welfare, leading to inequality, poverty, and environmental degradation.
How does Marx’s theory of class struggle describe the division of society in a capitalist system?
Marx’s theory of class struggle divides society into two primary classes: the bourgeoisie (owners of the means of production) and the proletariat (the working class).
what is wrong with capitalist structures when it comes to workers?
Workers are paid less than the value they produce at work. The extra value is taken by the business owners, making the rich richer and keeping the poor in a lower position.
Where did the origins of capitalism’s development come from?
Capitalism’s development began during the colonial era when Europeans expanded into Asia and the Americas.
How did European industrial growth relate to colonialism?
European industrial growth relied on colonial labor, shaping development around European achievements.
What were the Marshall Plan and Bretton Woods, and what did they aim to achieve?
The Marshall Plan and Bretton Woods were initiatives that aimed to spur European growth through aid and technology after World War II.
How did the Cold War influence global development?
The Cold War rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States shaped global development, influencing many countries’ economic and political decisions.
What impact did post-WWII independence movements have?
Post-WWII, independence movements challenged colonial rulers, igniting unrest and leading to the decolonization of many nations.
What did Adam Smith believe about state involvement in the market?
Adam Smith advocated for minimal state involvement, believing that the market’s self-regulation would ensure prosperity and fairness.
How did Adam Smith view the division of labor and specialization in capitalism?
Adam Smith believed that the division of labor and specialization would improve productivity and lead to broader societal benefits.
What was Karl Marx’s perspective on the state’s role in capitalism?
Karl Marx argued that the state actively supports capitalism by protecting property rights and enabling capital accumulation, often at workers’ expense.
How did Karl Marx critique labor exploitation in capitalism?
Karl Marx critiqued labor exploitation, arguing that workers are alienated from their products, and that capitalism creates deep inequalities.
How did Karl Marx view economic growth under capitalism?
Karl Marx saw economic growth as uneven and exploitative, with capitalism enriching the few while impoverishing the many.
What does Marx’s view of history focus on?
Marx’s view focuses on how capitalism causes exploitation by taking value from workers, leading to unfair wealth and power distribution.
: How does exploitation happen in capitalism?
Exploitation happens when workers’ labor is used to create value, but they don’t get paid for all of it, which leads to unequal wealth.
What did Marx think about markets in capitalism?
Marx thought markets weren’t fair and could be controlled to help keep certain people in power
How does Marx see the market’s role in society?
Marx saw the market as a place where people fight for control and make the rules.
How does Marx’s view of class differ from Max Weber’s view?
Marx sees class as how people are connected in society, while Weber focuses on ranking people based on individual characteristics.
What does Marx say we need to look at to understand class?
To understand class, we need to look at how production and exploitation work as a whole, not just individual traits.
How does Weber define social class?
Weber defines social class based on income levels used by global organizations, like the United Nations.
Why are class relationships inherently conflicting, according to Marxist theory?
Class relationships are inherently conflicting because workers and bosses fight for control over production and the distribution of profits.
What role do trade unions play in society, according to the slide?
Trade unions defend workers’ rights and challenge oppressive relations in society.
What do critical political economy theorists question about capitalism?
They question whether capitalism can fairly distribute wealth.
How has capitalism contributed to technological advancement and inequality?
Capitalism has led to significant technological progress but has also worsened economic inequality and environmental crises.
How does Karl Marx critique capitalist structures?
Marx critiques capitalism by highlighting labor exploitation and the roles of social classes in economic relationships.
What is Marx’s critique of profit-driven capitalism?
Marx thinks profit-driven capitalism is unfair and questions the common ideas about how development works under capitalism.
How does Marx view social transformation and development?
Marx views development as driven by social conflict and stresses the importance of collective action for achieving equality.
What was Friedrich Engels’ contribution to Marxist theory?
Engels helped create Marxist theory, focusing on how class relations and economics shape history.
What is historical materialism, according to Engels?
Historical materialism says that money and resources shape how society and history change.
What was Georgi Plekhanov’s contribution to Marxism?
Plekhanov was a pioneer of Soviet Marxism and helped lay the foundation for Marxist thought in Russia.
What is dialectical materialism?
Dialectical materialism is a way of understanding social and historical changes using Marxist ideas.
How did colonial powers justify their actions during colonization?
Colonial powers justified colonization as a mission to “civilize” non-European regions, even though they made reforms in response to resistance
How did colonial powers continue exploiting colonies despite reforms?
Despite reforms, colonial powers used the idea of “civilizing missions” to hide their economic motives and keep their control over colonies.
What is imperialism?
Imperialism is the practice of expanding a nation’s power and control over other territories through colonization, military force, or economic dominance.
Who are some key thinkers in the theory of imperialism?
Key thinkers include Vladimir Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, and Leon Trotsky.
How did Vladimir Lenin critique imperialism?
Lenin argued that imperialism is not a natural part of capitalism, but a stage in its development. He highlighted the link between imperialist competition and conflicts, like wars.
What is Lenin’s idea of a vanguard party?
Lenin proposed the creation of a revolutionary party made up of activists who lead the working class, known as the vanguard party.
how did Rosa Luxemburg critique Lenin’s view of imperialism?
Luxemburg disagreed with Lenin, arguing that imperialism is not the highest stage of capitalism. She saw it as a phase of “primitive capitalist accumulation.”
What is Luxemburg’s view of capitalism?
Luxemburg emphasized that capitalism is dynamic, constantly expanding and evolving, and is interconnected globally without following predetermined stages.
What did Leon Trotsky reject about capitalist development?
Trotsky rejected the idea of linear progression in capitalist development and emphasized that it happens unevenly across regions and social classes.
What is Trotsky’s concept of “combined development”?
Trotsky’s “combined development” recognizes that each nation has its unique cultural and economic characteristics, and development occurs differently in each.
When did the Dependency School of Thought emerge?
The Dependency School of Thought emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as a critique of modernization theory.
What is the focus of the Dependency School of Thought?
It focuses on how developing countries are exploited by industrialized nations, which hinders their growth and development.
What is Dependency Theory?
Dependency Theory examines how the underdevelopment of poorer countries is caused by economic exploitation by wealthier, industrialized nations
What is Unequal Exchange Theory? This approach is within dependency theory
Unequal Exchange Theory suggests that developing countries are given unfair trade terms that favor industrialized nations, causing wealth to flow from the global South to the North.
What is Capitalist World-System Theory? This apprach is within dependency theory
It explains how global capitalism controls the political and economic decisions of developing countries, limiting their independence/ autonomy
: Who introduced the concept of unequal exchange?
Raul Prebisch and the Economic Commission for Latin America introduced it to explain exploitation in international trade.
he formed the basis of economic dependency theory
What do developing countries mainly export?
Developing countries mainly export raw materials, also known as primary commodities.
What do industrialized nations primarily export?
Industrialized nations primarily export value-added manufactured goods.
What are declining terms of trade?
Declining terms of trade refer to the decreasing value of exports compared to imports, which harms developing countries economically.
What do scholars like Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Enrique Faletto, and Osvaldo Sunkel focus on in the Dependency School of Thought?
What do these scholars argue about the capitalist world system?
They focus on the internal dynamics of developing nations, analyzing the relationships of production and class conflicts.
They argue that the capitalist world system influences political and economic choices, limiting the sovereignty and development paths of different states.
Who introduced the concept of unequal exchange?
Paul Prebisch and the Economic Commission for Latin America introduced the concept of unequal exchange.
What does Unequal Exchange describe
Unequal exchange describes the imbalance in trade where developed nations gain more from manufactured goods than developing nations do from primary commodities.
What is André Gunder Frank’s radical approach to development?
He developed the Theory of Underdevelopment, arguing that “core” regions actively underdeveloped the “periphery” nations.
What does the Theory of Underdevelopment propose?
The theory suggests that the wealthier, industrialized nations (core) purposefully kept developing nations (periphery) underdeveloped.
What is unclear in Frank’s theory?
The mechanisms of how wealth is transferred from the periphery to the core remain unclear in his theory.
What does Samir Amin explain about value transfer?
Samir Amin explains how value is transferred from peripheral countries to central, developed countries due to differences in labor prices.
Egyptian-French Marxian economist,
political scientist and world-systems
analyst. He is noted for his introduction
of the term Eurocentrism in 1988.
Dependency & World Systems theory
How do labor price variations affect international trade?
Labor price differences contribute to unequal exchange, benefiting developed countries over developing ones.
What is the main idea of Dependent Development Theory by Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Enrique Faletto?
Dependent Development Theory recognizes the impact of capitalism on political and economic development in developing countries.
What do Cardoso and Faletto emphasize in their theory?
They emphasize analyzing internal production relations and class conflicts within specific social and national contexts.
How does Anti-colonial Marxism critique colonialism and imperialism?
It sees colonialism and imperialism as systems of capitalist exploitation, where colonial powers subjugate and exploit colonized peoples.
What is the concept of self-determination in Anti-colonial Marxism?
Self-determination means that colonized people should be able to govern themselves and control their own resources and institutions.
What is the link between anti-colonial movements and the working class?
Anti-colonial movements are connected to the global fight for worker emancipation, with the working class central to these struggles.
How is colonialism viewed in Anti-colonial Marxism?
Colonialism is seen as a tool of capitalist exploitation.
What does Anti-colonial Marxism advocate for?
It advocates solidarity among oppressed peoples against imperialism.
How does Walter Rodney critique colonialism?
Rodney challenges the idea that colonialism benefited Africa and highlights its role in underdevelopment. He rejects colonialism as a civilizing force and exposes exploitation.
What does Rodney argue in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa?
Rodney argues that colonial infrastructure served European interests and had detrimental effects on African development.
What is Rodney’s “Balance Sheet of Colonialism”?
Rodney assesses colonialism’s impact on Africa, stating that its negative consequences outweigh the perceived benefits and challenges mainstream narratives justifying colonialism.
What is Political Marxism?
Political Marxism emphasizes the state’s role in maintaining capitalist exploitation and class domination. It argues that state policies, laws, and institutions serve the interests of the ruling class.
Who are the key thinkers in Political Marxism?
Key thinkers in Political Marxism include Ellen Meiksins Wood and Robert Brenner.
What contributions did Ellen Meiksins Wood make to Political Marxism?
She contributed to understanding capitalism’s historical development, critiqued class reductionism, analyzed the relationship between state power and class relations, and examined capitalism’s global expansion.
What lasting impact did Ellen Meiksins Wood have?
She left a lasting legacy in Marxist scholarship.
What did Robert Brenner focus on in his work?
Robert Brenner focused on the transition from feudalism to capitalism, emphasizing the role of class struggle in driving economic change and challenging traditional Marxist interpretations of historical materialism.
What does critical geography study and who is a key thinker in this field?
Critical geography studies how power, inequality, and social change are influenced by geography and economic, political, and social processes. It also examines neocolonialism and how colonial legacies affect spatial relations and resource distribution. Key thinker: David Harvey.
What are the key ideas of David Harvey’s critical geography?
David Harvey explains that capitalism makes inequality worse by taking public resources and giving them to companies. He also talks about how social movements, like Idle No More, work together to fight for change.
What is Indigenous Marxism and its main focus?
Indigenous Marxism focuses on the struggles of Indigenous peoples against colonialism, emphasizing land rights, sovereignty, and self-determination.
What is self-determination in Indigenous Marxism and who are key thinkers?
Self-determination refers to the right of communities to determine their own political, economic, and cultural status. Key thinkers include Arthur Manuel and Glen Coulthard.
Who is Arthur Manuel, and what is his contribution to Indigenous Marxism?
Arthur Manuel was a prominent First Nations activist from the Secwepemc Nation in British Columbia. He advocated for Indigenous self-determination, connecting current challenges with Canada’s colonial history and emphasizing the need for Indigenous control over traditional lands.
What is the origin of racism, according to the history of anti-racism theories?
Racism emerged during the period of New World slavery in the 1700s, created to rationalize the unfree status of African slaves and to reconcile the contradiction between the rhetoric of freedom and the reality of slavery.
What is the feminist critique of capitalism according to feminist Marxists?
Feminist Marxist scholars argue that capitalist development does not lead to gender equality. They challenge the natural division of labor and highlight the exploitation of unpaid domestic work, which is integral to capitalist exploitation.
What does Himani Bannerji argue about gender and race relations in relation to capitalism?
Himani Bannerji argues that gender and race relations are shaped and mediated by the capitalist class structure. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the intersections of oppression.
What is the critique of liberal feminism presented in Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto?
The critique highlights that liberal feminism focuses on breaking the “glass ceiling” for individual success without addressing broader structural inequalities. It argues that the emphasis on individual success within existing systems fails to challenge the capitalist structures that perpetuate oppression.
