Introduction to Theory Flashcards
Consensus vs Conflict
Consensus theorists support the idea that everyone in society has a shared, communal goal which they work together in harmony to achieve. This is known as social solidarity. One consensus theorist, Emile Durkheim, describes this shared workings of society through the ‘organic analogy’.
Conflict theorists take a much different approach. They see society as being based on the interests of one powerful group which imposes and marginalises others in society.
Structure theorists
Also known as Top Down Theorists, they argue that society imposes things upon us that shape our identity and therefore we don’t structure society as individuals, but rather society structures us.
Marx on society
Karl Marx (1818- 1883) was alive in the middle of the 19th century, and it’s important to realise that his theories stem from an analysis of European societies 150 years ago.
Marx travelled through Europe during the mid and later half of the 19th century where he saw much poverty and inequality. The more he travelled the more he explained what he saw through unequal access to resources and ownership of property and wealth. He argued that the working class (proletariat) in Britain (and elsewhere) was being exploited by the ruling class (bourgeoisie).
Capitalism is divided into two classes
The Bourgeoisie or the Capitalist class are the ones who own and control the wealth of a country. These control the productive forces in society (what Marx called the economic base), which basically consisted of land, factories and machines that could be used to produce goods that could then be sold for a profit.
The majority, or the masses, or what Marx called The Proletariat can only gain a living by selling their labour power to the bourgeoisie for a price. Whether this is physical products or emotional labour. (Hochschild).
The bourgeoisie increase their wealth by exploiting the proletariat
The relationship between these two classes is exploitative : the amount of money the Capitalist pays his workers (their wages) is always below the current selling, or market price of whatever they have produced. The difference between the two is called surplus value.
Marx says that the capitalist extracts surplus value from the worker. Because of this , the capitalist class is only able to maintain and increase their wealth at the expense of the proletariat. To Marx, Profit is basically the accumulated exploitation of workers in capitalist society.
Those who have economic power have ultimate control
Marx argued that those who control the Economic Base also control the Superstructure – that is, those who have wealth or economic power also have political power and control over the rest of society.
Economic Base (The Mode of Production) = forces of production (tools, machinery, raw materials which people use to produce goods and services)and the relations of production (social relations between people involved in the production of goods and services). Together these make up the mode of production.
Superstructure = All other institutions: The legal system, the mass media, family, education etc.
Critiques
☹Marx’s concept of social class has been criticised as being too simplistic – today, there are clearly not just two social classes, but several; moreover, most people don’t identify with other members of their social class, so it is questionable how relevant the concept of social class is today.
☹Clearly Marx’s predictions about capitalism ending and the ‘inevitable success of communism’ have been proved wrong with the collapse of communism.
☹ Capitalism has changed a lot since Marx’s day, and it appears to work for more people – it is less exploitative, so maybe this explains why it still continues to this day? (Functionalist)
☹ Marx completely ignores gender inequality and therefore doesn’t consider why women are oppressed
Feminists and their key theoretical aspects
The basics - inequality between men and women is universal and the most significant form of inequality
Gender norms are socially constructed not determined by biology and can thus be changed.
Patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality – women are subordinate because men have more power.
Feminism is a political movement; it exists to rectify sexual inequalities, although strategies for social change vary enormously.
Radical feminists
Radical feminists take the approach that ‘all men are bad’, they’re looking at the problem of men and male domination under patriarchy; where males dominate in every area of society.
Radical feminists assume that patriarchy and sex class hold central significance in terms of analysis of male/female relationships.
They see patriarchy as the main form of inequality in society.
Firestone (1972) argues that women’s biology is a basis for their inequality and domination by men; this takes the view that because women menstruate, give birth, and breastfeed, they’re sometimes dependant on others. This dependence therefore allows men to gain power and control, thus seeing patriarchy in the social world.
Marxist feminists
Marxist feminists take the idea that that only ‘some men are bad’, and the biggest problem with inequality is down to class. They put emphasis on how women are doubly exploited; both as workers and as women in society and the home. Marxist feminists focus on the connection between capitalism and the subordination of women.
Marxists feminists focus on an emancipatory, critical framework that aims at understanding and explaining gender oppression in a systematic way (Holmstrom, 2002).
Liberal feminists
Anne Oakley is often considered to be first Liberal Feminists.
Liberal feminists focus on measures ensuring that women have equal opportunities with men within the present societal system. They see that society is false in the belief that women are less capable. However, liberal feminists do acknowledge that differences between men and women have lessened since the Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Sex Discrimination Act (1975).
Black and difference feminists
This is a perspective that sees how women are oppressed by the patriarchy but also by both capitalism and racism. They argue that minority-ethnic, working-class women are the most discriminated against people in society.
They suffer a duality of oppression.
Do not see women as a single homogenous group. MC/WC , Criticised preceding feminist theory for claiming a ‘false universality’ (white, western heterosexual, middle class) Criticised preceding Feminists theory of being essentialist Critiqued preceding Feminist theory as being part of the masculinist Enlightenment Project.
Evaluation of radical feminists
Greer (2007) – Supports the idea that all men are bad, by arguing that many relationships between men and women in all aspects of life in contemporary society remain highly patriarchal and exploitative.
As a whole this theory has been criticised because it ignores other reasons for inequalities, like class and ethnicity.
Evaluation of Marxist feminists
The main issue with this theory is that it does not account for non-capitalist countries where patriarchy and male dominance is still an issue. Such as China, Cuba, Lao peoples republic etc.
Evaluation of liberal feminists
Liberal feminists look at laws and the changing ideas to eliminate inequalities, however these aren’t things that can necessarily happen quickly or guarantee social change; as a whole their approach is fairly over-optimistic.
Walby argues that they provide no exact explanation for the overall structures of gender inequalities.
