Explaining Social Class Inequalities: New Right

Question 1

Saunders:

in defence of inequality

Answer 1

argues that stratification is right and that it’s just that everyone enjoys legal equality and also equality of opportunity. He rejects the idea that everyone should be rewarded in the same way regardless of whether they deserve it or not and thus some inequality is desirable and functional as it motivates people to compete as long as everyone has EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to take part in the competition

Question 2

Murray: The Underclass

Answer 2

argues that government polices of providing welfare benefits for the unemployed etc, has created a dependency culture where they have no motivation to better themselves. This creates the UNDERCLASS. 
People criticise Murray for creating a sweeping negation generalised of the WC. Murray also focuses on only those at the bottom of society and thus makes no connection between the wider latter of social class inequality

Question 3

Marxism:

Class conflict

Answer 3

argue that while workers create the wealth of the bourgeoise, only a fraction goes to the Proletariats in wages called the SURPLUS VALUE. Workers are exploited by the employers. Marx argued that capitalism suffered from problems:

• The polarisation of social classes: the divide grew bigger affecting small business
• Alienation: workers have little intrinsic satisfaction due to no control over their work
• Economic Crisis: competition between companies creates boom period followed by recessions

Question 4

Marxism:

The overthrow of Capitalism

Answer 4

due to being the majority, the WC had the potential to overthrow capitalism in a evolution. But this was discouraged by their FALSE CLAS CONSCIOUSNESS

Question 5

Marxism:

Evaluation

Answer 5

Marc’s ideas had a huge influence on political thought and have been use to analyse capitalist societies and inequalities.
However he’s been criticised for his:
Economic Determinism: explaining societies based on economist alone and not considering cultural reasons for people’s behaviour
The Middle Class: he doesn’t consider classes between the WC and MC such as small business owners
Class Consciousness and Revolution: Marx saw the downfall of capitalism as inevitable but in reality communist revolutions have only occurred in under-developed societies
The Success of Capitalism: capitalist societies seem to flourish despite their supposed problems. The WC have experienced rising living standards etc

Question 6

In defence of Marxism: 
importance of social class inequality -
Westergaard and Rester (1976)

Answer 6

argue that there was little evidence of class divisions disappearing and so social inequalities can only be understood as a result of how Capitalist systems operate

Question 7

In defence of Marxism:
The Proletarianisation of the MC
Braverman (1974)

Answer 7

argues that many ‘middle class’ workers, have in reality been ‘de-skilled’ by machines etc. This results in lower wages and thus PROLETARIANISATION

Question 8

In defence of Marxism:
Neo-Marxism
Gramsci (1971)

Answer 8

developed the idea of hegemony to explain why the WC haven’t risen up in resolution. He argued that the elite don’t need to exert power because they rule through persuasion and the WC side with the ruling class

Question 9

In defence of Marxism
Globalisation and Transnational Corporations
Sklair (2004

Answer 9

Capitalism has been transformed by Globalisation. Nation states now find it difficult to control the activities of TNC’s, giving them greater power than national governments thus those who control TNCs have become a global ruling class