Marxism Flashcards
What type of theory is Marxism?
Founded by Karl Marx, Marxism is a conflict and macro theory.
- Believes in the superstructure: the base contains the means of production and the relations of production (where the bourgeoisie exploits the proletariat), and the superstructure contains social institutions.
- The superstructure maintains the base, and the base shapes the superstructure.
- False class consciousness, dominant ideology, oppression of the working-class.
- Believes that the economy determines most things = driving force in society.
What are the key features of Marxism?
- Classes: the ruling class and the working class, who sell their labour to survive.
- Exploitation: pay workers less than the value they create, keeping the extra as profit (surplus value).
- False class consciousness.
- Alienation.
- Awakening and Revolution.
- Communism.
What are the strengths of Marxism?
- Economic exploitation is still an issue, large multinational companies who hold power.
- Explains why social mobility is difficult.
What are the weaknesses of Marxism?
- Individuals have little free will as they are controlled by the superstructure: economically deterministic.
- Only looks at class conflict, ignores race/gender.
- Complexity of wealthy people’s views: can agree on social issues.
- Communism hasn’t necessarily led to equality.
What is Neo-Marxism?
A more developed version of Marxism, believes that traditional marxism is outdated as people can now recognise their oppression but are powerless to change it.
What did Gramsci (a humanistic neo-marxist) theorise?
- The ruling class stays in power through coercion (army, police, etc) and consent (hegemony): using values to convince WC that their rule is fair; power maintained through force.
RC better at expressing ideas than communism.
- Hegemony = accepting things as normal, will obey the RC. The ruling class often forms alliances, known as a ‘power bloc’ to keep more control.
- A counter hegemonic bloc where people can partly see through RC ideology but cannot revolt without a united group being formed.
Evaluation of Gramsci:
- Willis: ‘The Lads’, supports the notion of ‘dual consciousness’ as they realise that meritocracy is a myth.
- Gramsci ignores the power of the state and the coercion they use = people tolerate capitalism as they have no choice, not because they don’t recognise coercion.
What did Althusser theorise?
ISA and RSA to spread bourgeois ideology, false class consciousness.
Family = ISA, spreads dominant ideology through primary socialisation. Age hierarchies, timeouts, etc.
Education = ISA, reinforces RC ideology through obedience, punctuality, etc = labels WC as failures due to ‘meritocracy’. Prepares them to accept exploitation.
Crime = RSA, police physically repress citizens, abide by laws of the RC.
No freedom to break free from structures, heavily influenced.
What did Althusser say about the Superstructure?
He argued that there was an organised political level within the superstructure, between the base and superstructure.
Bowles and Gintis:
Hidden curriculum, produces an obedient workforce, false class consciousness.
- Correspondence Principle: parallels between how children are treated at school vs in the workforce.
Engels:
Family has a clear economic function, inheritance of property where wealth remains within the family = women as ‘prostitutes’ to produce an heir.
Zaretsky:
The family performs ideological and economic functions: socialises children into believing that exploitation is normal and acts as unpaid labour/a unit of consumption.
Children have pester power.
- Safe Haven.
Willis - ‘The Lads’:
12 working-class boys who prioritised having a laugh over education, went into WC jobs.
- Hegemony.
- Preferred manual labour, masculine identity.
