Inequality - Marxism Flashcards
Who are the 4 Marxists who worked on Inequality?
Karl Marx, Engles, Althusser, and Castles and Kosack
What did Karl Marx theorise?
Alienation. The structure of the economy means that a select few own most of the worlds wealth while the majority have few to no assets, they are forced to sell their labour to survive.
What system did Karl Marx live in?
A system where factory owners paid factory workers a pitiful wage and made them work long hours, making products they couldn’t even afford to buy.
What did Karl Marx theorise would happen?
The working class would revolt, and go against the upper class.
What are some evaluations of Karl Marx?
1) His theory is severely outdated, now, the middle class has expanded, while Karl Marx only saw 2 classes.
2) The revolution he predicted never happened. This shows that people like living in a capitalist society.
What did Engles theorise?
Reserve Army of Labour. This work was developed by Karl Marx, He argued that capitalism exploited workers because they are only given work when the economy is running well.
What did Marx say would happen during economic turndowns?
That the workers would be laid off to maintain the profits of the ‘ruling class.’
What did Althusser theorise?
Ideological control. Althusser wanted to figure out why the revolution never happened, he theorised that agents of control such as the media and education were used by the ruling class to enforce their own values upon the proletariat (the working class).
What are students taught?
That failure is their own fault. This way, they never challenge the inequalities they face due to capitalism
What are some evaluations of Althusser?
1) It’s arrogant to suggest the lower classes aren’t aware of the exploitation they face, but he is.
What did Castles and Kosack study?
Ethnicity and Marxism.
What is ethnic inequality the result of according to Marxists?
Capitalism
What four reasons do Marxists think racism and ethnic inequality are deliberately encouraged by the ruling class?
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What are the evaluations of Castles and Kosack?
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