Foundations of Exploitation

Question 1

what was/is feudalism

Answer 1

• preceded capitalism
• social hierarchy based on land ownership
• landlords controlled tenant

Question 2

what are the two groups in feudalism

Answer 2

• peasants/ sefs/ villiens

- lords

Question 3

characteristics of peasants in feudalism

Answer 3

• direct access to the means of production (land, tools, livestock)
• could be called to go to war
• paid rent to landlords
  
  • actual money or the best of crops/livestock

Question 4

characteristics of lords in feudalism

Answer 4

• owned the lands
• controlled the peasants
• took rent from peasants

Question 5

who actually owned the land

Answer 5

monarchs, but they distributed to lords who controlled operations for fields or military service

Question 6

what is capitalism

Answer 6

social construct based on means of production (land, factories…) often related to exploitation

Question 7

what are the two classes in capitalism

Answer 7

• capitalist (bourgeoise)
  
  • owned means of production
• workers (proletariat)
  
  • worked, nothing to sell but labour

Question 8

what are the key characteristics of capitalism?

Answer 8

1. Production of commodities (goods and services)
2. Capitalist purchase labour-power
3. Free labour/exploitation
   - They paid employees so not slavery/ feudalism
4. Capitalist controls production
   - Determine what is made and what is done with it
5. Commodities are sold for profit
   - Possibility of exploitation
6. Competition
   - Workers compete for work
   Capitalists compete for business

Question 9

what are the 3 things needed for cheap manifaction

Answer 9

• technique
• scale
• location

Question 10

explain how technique helps make manfication cheap

Answer 10

• they need a process to do it
  
  • e.g motion study Fredrick Taylor
  • assembly line by Henry Ford

Question 11

explain how scale helps make manfication cheap

Answer 11

economies of scale

- the more you make the cheaper it becomes

Question 12

explain how location helps make manfication cheap

Answer 12

• labour can be cheaper in one area than the other

Question 13

what is division of labour

Answer 13

a system of organizing the manufacture of goods into a series of separate tasks

Question 14

what is spatial division of labour

Answer 14

same as division of labour but takes advantage of locations

Question 15

what is absolute advantage

Answer 15

making more goods than your competitors

Question 16

what is comparative advantage

Answer 16

achieving the same level of production with but cheaper

Question 17

what is new international division of labour (nidl)

Answer 17

same concept but now international

Question 18

what are the factors for shift from domestic to global production

Answer 18

unlimited supply of cheap world labour

fragmentation internationally

transportation and communication to allow partial production in different locations