karl marx

Question 1

summary

Answer 1

• society is based on production and consumption for marx
• whoever owns the means of production has the power in society
• marx believed that social life was based on conflict
• your class in society was based on your relationship with the means of production
• the bourgeoise own and control the means of production in society
• the proletariat simply sell their labour power in the market place and work for a wage to live on

Question 2

what does meritocracy mean

Answer 2

• if you work hard enough, you can get on
• examples = university, social media and jobs

Question 3

what is the relationship between the proletariat and the bourgeoise

Answer 3

• unequal and exploitative relationship as the bourgeoise try to get the maximum amount of labour out of the working class for lowest wage possible
• it’s always in the interests of the bourgeoise to exploit the proletariat which is why marxism is a conflict theory

Question 4

why is marxism a structural theory?

Answer 4

• it sees the individual as less important than the social structure of society
• marx recognises that people have a role in making themselves
• marx saw the economic organisation of society as being responsible for individual behaviour