Marxism

Question 1

Marx - Historical Materialism

Answer 1

Materialsim = view that humans have material needs and work to meet them using the means of production
. Used to be standard human labour but has changed through industrialisation
^ now a class who owns production and one that uses it

. Class polarisation has not occured. The working class has shrunk whilst the MC expanded - industrial revolution not happened in every part of the world

Question 2

Marx - Ideology

Answer 2

Class that owns the means of production also owns and controls the means of mental production - dominant ideas of society = ideas of ruling class

. Ideologies = sets of ideas/beliefs that legitimise the existing social order as desirable or inevitable
^ sustains class inequality

Weber: status and power can also be important sources of inequality

Question 3

Gramsci - Hegemony

Answer 3

Gramsci belives dominance is maintained through:
Coercion: army, police, prisons = force the acceptance of their rule
Consent: (hegemony) ideas and values that gain the consent of the WC to its rule and prevent revolution

^ criticised for putting far too much emphasis on WC being prevented from a revolution

Question 4

Althusser - complex structural determinism

Answer 4

Rejects Marx’s base - superstructure model of society and instead believes in 3 structures:
1. Economic level - production of goods
2. Political level - government/ organisations can overpower and encourage capitalism
3. Ideological level - media, education, religion