Marxism Flashcards
What is Marxism?
Marxism is a structural/conflict theory which is a view that is concerned with the means of production and how private ownership of the means of production embalmers the owners to extract surplus value from the workers. They also see society as moulding individuals into set norms and values through institutions such as the family, education, mass media and work. These institutions socialise the proletariat into accepting inequality between them and the bourgeoisie so the means of production can continue. The institutions of the capitalist class of the capitalist system help create a false class consciousness where they are aware of the exploitation but accept it and so they take on ruling class ideology that that the oppression they face is normal; they become alienated. A society is created from economic determinism where everything depends on the owners of production. This production brought along the monogamous nuclear family because the family needed to become a social workforce. The family then becomes es a unit of consumption where they serve capitalism so they accept inequality and think that the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer is acceptable. Marxists propose a revolution to make way for a new system based on communism.
What is economic base and superstructure?
In developing his history of materialism theory, Marx distinguished between the base and superstructure of society. Marx sees two essential components of society:
- Economic base or the superstructure, which underpinned and determined everything else in society. The economic base consists of those who own the means of production like the land, factories, raw materials, technology and labour necessary to produce society’s goods (e.g. landowners, factory owners, large companies, etc).
- Superstructures are the social institutions in society, such as the law, army, police force, media, education, and religion, etc. Marx believes the economic base shape and influences the superstructure in terms of doing so socially, politically and in forming people’s values and beliefs. The superstructure, in turn, supports the basic values of the economic structure of society. In modern western societies, such countries support the capitalist economic base.
Evaluation of Marxism
✅ Marx’s theory identifies the importance of the economy and how economic changes influence a wide range of other social institutions. For example, it has shown how economic factors can lead to revolutionary upheaval (e.g. Russia, and some Eastern European countries) rioting, conflict and political unrest.
✅ A more critical approach to social institutions. For example, the interrelated link between the major institutions such as the family, religion, education and the economy and how these institutions can create the ideological conditions to accept exploitation and oppression. Furthermore, it has shown how social institutions such as religions can have an impact on human consciousness (e.g. false-consciousness).
❌ Too deterministic: the base-superstructure model. He gives too much importance to the economy. It assumes that for social development and change to occur in society it is dependent on economic activity. Marx does allow for the possibility that the ideas and institutions of the superstructure may themselves influence behaviour and cause social change independently of the economy, as Weber (1904) saw in the ideas of the Protestant ethic generating change in early capitalism.
❌ The utopian society failed to materialise. His prediction of a revolution creating a classless communist society in the advanced capitalist countries (such as Western Europe) have not come true. Far from society becoming poorer, almost everyone in Western society has achieved far higher standards than ever before. The collapse of the so-called ‘communist’ regimes of the Soviet Union (now Russia and the surrounding countries) and Eastern Europe, and growing private ownership and the continuation of extreme inequality in communist countries like China, suggests Marxist theory may lack validity because the viability of the practical implementation of Marx’s ideas may not be possible.
❌ Two class model inadequate. There has been the growth of a new middle class of managerial, professional and clerical workers which his theory does not really account for. The middle class is difficult to determine as either proletariat or bourgeoisie. Most middle class people are non owners of means of production yet they enjoy more privileges than the exploited working class. This shows Marxist theories may no longer be applicable to contemporary society.
What is Neo-Marxism?
After Marx’s death many Neo Marxists rejected the economic determinism of his base-superstructure model. Instead they began to explain why capitalism has persisted and how it can be changed. We can recognise two broad approaches to these questions which Alvin Gouldner describes as:
- Humanistic - associated with Gramsci (1891-1937)
- Scientific - associated with Althusser
What is the humanistic/critical Gramsci view?
- Belief in the central principles of Marxism but belief in socialism rather than communism.
- Change is possible.
- Voluntaristic - Humans have free will and choice. They make their own history. Their consciousness and ideas can change the world.
- Associated with interpretivism.
- Change will happen when people become conscious of the need to overthrow capitalism.
- Socialism can happen if the conditions are right.
- The WC have dual consciousness. Intellectuals can formulate an alternative view and lead change.
- Coercion: it uses the army, police, prisons and courts of the capitalist state to force other classes to accept its rule.
- Consent (hegemony): it uses ideas and values to persuade the subordinate classes that it’s rule is legitimate.
- Hegemony of the ruling class is never complete for 2 reasons: The ruling class are a minority; to rule, they need to create a power bloc by making alliances with other groups, such as the middle classes. They must therefore make ideological compromises to take account of the interests of their allies. The proletariat have a dual consciousness - Their ideas are influenced not only by bourgeoisie ideology, but also by their material conditions of life - the poverty and exploitation they experience. This means they can see through the dominant ideology to some degree.
- Meritocracy is a myth.
What is the scientific/structuralist Althusser view?
- Belief in the central principles of Marxism but believe in socialism rather than communism.
- Change is difficult but possible.
- Deterministic - Structural factors determines the course of history. Humans are victims of ideology. They are puppets manipulated by the system.
- Associated with positivism.
- Socialism will come about only when the contradictions of capitalism bring about its collapse.
- Change is difficult in society when there are strict structures that shape our lives. People are often afraid and fear state oppression or unemployment. They tolerate capitalism.
- The repressive state apparatuses (RSAs): These are the ‘armed bodies of men - the army, the police, prisons and so on - that coerce the WC into complying with the will of the bourgeoisie.
- The ideological state apparatus (ISAs): These include the media, the education system, the family, reformist political parties, trade unions and other institutions. ISAs ideologically manipulate the working class into accepting capitalism as legitimate.
- Capitalist society has 3 structures levels: The economic level, comprising all those activities that involve producing something in order to satisfy a need. The political level, comprising alll forms of organisation. The ideological level, involving the ways that people see themselves and their world.
- Meritocracy is a myth.
