Marxism

Question 1

What is Marxism

Answer 1

Marxism posits that the struggle between social classes—specifically between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers—defines economic relations in a capitalist economy and will inevitably lead to revolutionary communism.

Question 2

What do Marxist believe

Answer 2

The idea that the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat for their labour.

Marxists argue that the proletariat are persuaded to accept this situation through a combination of coercion and ideology (the latter causing false class consciousness)

Question 3

Karl Marx ( 1811 - 1883 ) beliefs

Answer 3

Two classes – Bourgeois – Proletariat

• The relationship between them is Exploitation/ Surplus Value
• The Base (economy) determines the Superstructure (all other institutions)
• The ruling class have ideological control through the superstructure
• The proletariat exist in false consciousness
• The fundamental problem with Capitalism is that it causes alienation
• Revolution is inevitable because the iron law of Capitalism is that exploitation must carry on increasing.
• Communism is the final stage of societal evolution (the abolition of private property)

Question 4

False consciousness

Answer 4

having a misguided or false view of ones own position in society.

Marxists argue that proletariats are unaware of the exploitation they are facing

Question 5

Class consciousness

Answer 5

being conscious of their social class and how it is treated in the class system

Question 6

Althusser - Structural Scientific Marxist View

Answer 6

• There are three levels of control: economic, political, and ideological. The Bourgeois maintain control on all three levels and they all reinforce each other.
• They maintain control through the Repressive state apparatus – the army
• More importantly – the Ideological state apparatus – everything else, most obviously education and the media
  .
• Criticised humanistic Marxism – structure determines everything, people are incapable of having genuinely revolutionary ideas within the existing Capitalist system.
• Capitalism needs to collapse before socialism comes about.

Question 7

What are the 3 Interlocking Systems that Althusser suggested and what are their functions?

Answer 7

Economic system: Produce all material goods

Political System: Organises society, passes laws and provides leadership.

Ideological System: Provides all the ideas and belief systems that are followed by the population.

Question 8

What type of Marxist is Gramsci?

Answer 8

‘Humanistic Marxist’

Question 9

What was Gramsci’s belief - Humanistic Marxist

Answer 9

Believed the proletariat can influence social change through developing their own ‘hegemony’ rather than waiting for economic changes that Marx referred to.

He suggested that the proletariat would construct a ‘counter-hegemony’ to provide people with an alternative way of life to the capitalist state.

Question 10

Who argues that society is based on three interlocking systems that drive capitalism forward?

Answer 10

Louis Althusser

Question 11

What is the Repressive State Apparatus

Answer 11

control the population through force - these would include institutions such as the army and police

Question 12

What is the Ideological State Apparatus

Answer 12

control through coercion, or manipulating the way people think - and would include institutions such as education, religion, media and family.

Question 13

Who is often referred to as a ‘Humanistic Marxist’ because he believed the proletariat can influence social change through developing their own ‘hegemony’ rather than waiting for economic changes that Marx referred to?

Answer 13

Gramsci

Question 14

What are the two State Apparatuses outlined by Althusser?

Answer 14

Ideological State Apparatus- How the media controls they way in which we think.

Repressive State Apparatus- How we are controlled by force by institutions such as the Army/Police etc.

Question 15

Criticisms of Marxism

Answer 15

– More complex class structure
– Capitalism is less exploitative (welfare state)
– Relative autonomy
– Postmodernism: people are free, not under false consciousness
- Work is less alienating for self-employed people
– Scientific Marxism is economically deterministic (Interactionism)
– Failure of communism in Eastern Europe
– It is a metanarrative (Postmodernism)

• Marxism has also been criticised for ignoring the freedom of choice. People choose what they do and think, they are not brainwashed by ‘ideology’
• Marxism neglects the common interest’s employers and workers may have, if workers do well, then the business does well and employers can afford to increase wages.

Question 16

Define Class Conflict

Answer 16

is the conflict that arises between different social classes.

Question 17

Which class is the ruling class

Answer 17

Bourgeoisies - owners of the means of production, who control the economy - which in turn gives them power over all aspects of society enabling them to rule over society.

Question 18

Is Marxism a Conflict or Consensus theory

Answer 18

Marxism is a Structural Conflict Theory - it sees the individual as far less important than the social structure of society

Question 19

What is a Conflict Theory

Answer 19

A conflict theory is a theory which regards society as based on inequality and conflict. Conflict theorists argue that large scale changes are necessary in order to improve society.

Question 20

Dominant ideology?

Answer 20

the set of ideas and beliefs of the most powerful groups in society, which influences the ideas of the rest of society.

Question 21

Name and explain the main parts society is divided into according Marxists in detail.

Answer 21

1. The economic base, or infrastructure which determines everything else in society, this consists of:

The means of production, these are the key resources necessary for producing society’s goods such as land, factories and machinery.

The relations of production these are the forms of relationship between those people involved in production , shared ownership or private ownership, who controls production and the relationship between owners and non – owners.

2. The superstructure which includes society’s social institutions, such as the family, education, the mass media, religion, ideology (is a set of ideas, values and beliefs that represents the outlook and justifies interests of a social group), which Marx saw as primarily influenced by the economic system.