Marxism

Question 1

Marxism core beliefs

Answer 1

• founder = Karl Marx
• conflict theory = society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited resources, holds that social order is maintained by donation and power, rather then consensus and conformity
• inequality they study = economic inequality, mostly the uneven distribution under capitalism of the means of production between capitalists and workers, division of social class

Question 2

What is capitalism?

Answer 2

• a economic and political system in which. A countries trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit rather than by the state

Question 3

Marxists main focus

Answer 3

• social class inequality
• inequality caused by capitalism
• the institution controls is and maintain this inequality by passing down capitalists norms and values through socialisation

Question 4

What did they think about the working class

Answer 4

They were exploited by ruling classes and paid very little in wages and working it terrible conditions and the ruling classes wanted to make the profit

Question 5

What is the bourgeoisie

Answer 5

Means of production, the rich

Question 6

Who are the proletariats

Answer 6

The wage slaves, poor

Question 7

Rich get ? Poorer get ?

Answer 7

The rich get richer and the poorer get poorer

Question 8

What did Marxists think the solution to capitalism was???

Answer 8

• workers of the world and power = communism

- one day the rich will become so rich and the poor so poor they will stand up and revolt

Question 9

Critiques of Marxism:

Answer 9

• too negative and ignores positives in society
• too deterministic and ignores how we have free will to resist this control
• outdated = we now have more support and policies available for working class eg free school meals
• social classes are becoming more blurred with a rise in middle class and less labour jobs

Question 10

What do new rights believe?

Answer 10

• the nation is built on welfare dependency a nanny state ruined by the underclass
• too dependent on the government welfare system
• become too easy to access financial handouts rather than working hard for what you get
• nanny state= lost our independence and self sufficiency so has created an underclass of people who chose not to work as they take advantage of the welfare state

Question 11

What are post modernists???

Answer 11

They believe society can no longer be defined as modern because it has changed so significantly all other theories are useless now

Question 12

Similarities between Marxism and functionalism

Answer 12

Both structuralist = look at how society controls and shapes us , top down

• no free will= deterministic
• came around in enlightens period = modernists so new for their time

Question 13

Differences if Marxism and functionalism

Answer 13

• Marxists are a conflict theory so focus on negatives, and are in disagreement so aren’t harmonious
• functionalists are rose tinted

Question 14

How does capitalism effect our society

Answer 14

If u work harder you get more money showing our society is built off of wealth and free enterprise
No limits restrictions on wealth
Divide between rich and poor which created class inequality
Rich get richer poor get poorer
Too deterministic and too focused on money consequences

Question 15

Proletariat

Answer 15

They feel exploited by the poor and they have to be ‘wage slaves’ just to get by
Need a uprising rebellion but we need majority
‘Nothing to loose but our chains ‘
Solution is communism = classless equal society which will only happen when we live in condensed, too rose tinted? Unrealistic .

Question 16

The hierarchy explained

Answer 16

Bourgeoisie: institutions told us it’s the right way and this socialised us
Poletarial: majority but still powerless = no one will listen so won’t stand up as they are scared to lose jobs
We blame ourselves not the system because we in a way hold up the c system through labour as they tell us capitalism is good
- capitalism is normal and fair and it’s just the waythings are to be cheated and exploited

Question 17

what is the superstructure?

Answer 17

• the institutions, maintains the base
• shaped by the base
• institutions are vital in installing capitalism and protecting it and keeping it
• they benefit it = shaped by it and serves to support, promote and maintain it
• without family = uprising of capitalism

Question 18

what is the infrastructure?

Answer 18

• the foundations
• money,society is built on it
• base shapes the superstructure

Question 19

Zaretsky quotes

Answer 19

• ‘family props up capitalism’

- ‘nuclear family acted as a ‘safe haven’

Question 20

ansley quote

Answer 20

-women are ‘takers of shit’

Question 21

inheritance of property

Answer 21

• higher class own the factories, exploit workers and pass these down to their heirs so they will also be wealthy and wont need to worry about money
• benefit off exploiting workers
• ‘baby makers’ = women had babies with one sexual partner and married so men would know their genuine heir and could pass down their wealth
• used to be a ‘promiscious horde’ = used to be no restrictions on sexual relationships
• Engels = ‘monogamy is essential’ = only have one partner their married to throughout their whole life
• meant female sexuality was always under mens control so they could always be the breadwinners of the family and women were powerless and they were so emotionally dependent on working me.
• ‘primitive communism’= no class,everyone traded communally
• went from promiscious horde to nuclear family being developed