marxism Flashcards
what is the economic base
determines everything in society - means of production and relation of production
what is the superstructure
society’s institutions
the ideology within are determined by the ruling class
evaluation of superstructure
interactionists - ignore the freedom of choice that people have in creating identity
functionalism - disagree that it is structure based on conflict - value consensus
max weber - superstructure model neglects the role of ideas eg calvinistic protestantism that helped create modern capitalism
class conflict and exploitation
marx - bourgeoisie and proletariat - ruling class own the means of production
class conflicts - rich get richer and poor get poorer
solution is revolt - however need to be active and realise being exploited
ruling class make surplus value - keeping w/c poor
- difference between what a product is sold for and cost of production
Althusser - institutions form ideological state apparatus within superstructure - legitimate class inequality
evaluation of class conflict
too much emphasis on conflict and ignores the fact that capitalism brought about an improvement in living standards
economically deterministic
radical feminists - main conflict is between gender with men systemically exploiting women for their own benefit through patriarchally
marxist feminists - working class is women - exploited by men (ruling class)
ideology and socialisation
transmit ruling class idea that society is meritocratic - work hard to be successful - brainwashing
Marcuse - false needs - we want material goods as a result of advertising
re-directs issues - false class consciousness
eval of ideology and socialisation
neo-marxists - we are active and demonstrate resistance by rebelling through creating oppositional subcultures eg Paul Willis - 1977 - antischool subculture
radical feminists - socialisation of the dominant ideology can be a form of indoctrination, but this an indoctrination into patriarchal ideology rather than capitalist
role of the family
socialisation benefits interests of ruling class
Zaretsky - family instils capitalist values eg obedience, respect for authority
ensures individuals can be exploited in later life
evaluation of role of the family
functionalism - parsons - disagrees that family passes down capitalist ideology - builds solidarity
radical feminism - main ideology is patriarchal values
interactionism - we are active in the process of socialisation
postmodernism - choice within the family in terms of socialisation - can teach non-capitalist values if we want
role of education
althusser - hidden curriculum - encourages acceptance and conformity
students not provided with educational knowledge that challenges capitalism
working class taught to see failure as their own fault
evaluation of role of education
functionalism - socialises all individuals into common culture based on a value consensus
interactionist - Dennis Wrong - socialisation is not passive - neo-marxists - paul willis 1977
radical feminists - socialisation process in education is not legitimating and reinforcing class inequalities but reinforce patriarchal oppression
role of the media
miliband - ruling class use media to transmit dominant ideology
- harmful mass culture - media is opium of the people
marsh and keating - popular culture is a false culture devised and packaged by capitalism to keep the masses content
marcuse - popular culture creates false needs
evaluation of role of the media
feminism - marxists - focus exclusively on class and capitalist ideology - failing to account for gender stereotypes transmitted through media
interactionists - audience actively select messages from media
role of religion
form of social control
marx - opium of the people - lessens the pain of hardship experienced by w/c by promising rewards in later life
3 false ideas
- promotes material success as a sign of god’s favour and poverty a sign of sin
- religious teaching emphasise blind faith - distract poor from understanding exploitation
- religion makes exploitation bearable - reward in afterlife
evaluation of role of religion
functionalism - religion is socialisation agent - moral codes based on value consensus
radical feminists - passing down patriarchal values which can be evidenced in the scriptures of a religion and the structures and hierarchy of a religion
