marxism

Question 1

key ideas of marxists

Answer 1

-economy driving force in infulecing everything
-conflict between proletriat and bourgeosise)
-ruling class exploit the w/c by paying them low wages for hard labour

Question 2

why is competiton encouraged

Answer 2

-generates more wealth and divides the w.c
-ruling class have power and control

Question 3

what can we say about the economic base and the capitalism

Answer 3

-economic base refers to the means of prodcution e,g land, factories , machinery
-relations of production is between the owners and workers

Question 4

what is known as the superstructure under the economic base

Answer 4

-all the institiutions in society that transmit norms and values

Question 5

what did the superstructure transmit

Answer 5

-ideas and values of the ruling class
-taught w/c to accpet their posititon
-referred as ruling class ideology(want to transmit idea that capitalism is just and fair)

Question 6

is the marxists ideas still relevant today

Answer 6

-capitalism is alive in uk and spread round the world
-comapanies now compete for profit on a global scale to reach greater customer bases
-they exploit cheaper labour in other countries

Question 7

how do the bourgeiosie exploit the proletariat

Answer 7

marx believe that the ruling class exploit w/c by not paying them true value of their labour so keep greater profits for themselves

Question 8

is this still relevant in contemporary UK

Answer 8

we now have:
-equal pay act
-equal opportunities e.g protects against discrimination e.g when ill or hv a kid
- maternity pay
-minimum wage
-zero hour contract
-health and safety
-sickness and pension benefits
-fight bullying and harassment in work place

Question 9

what is an example of boohoo?

Answer 9

-low wages , harsh conditions ( blocked up windows and use of face masks)
-fast fashion
- exploitation of textile workers

Question 10

what is an example of the sports direct mike ashley’s case

Answer 10

-low pay being made
- work culture of bullying
-accused of zero hour contract
-high level of pressure to work even when sick
-lack of rights due to 0 hour contact

Question 11

what’s further evidence of the marxists ideas from clips and articles

Answer 11

-members of aristocracy and corporations have control of half the country
-land and ownership is largely unequal
-bulk of population own very little land or none at all

Question 12

what are stats on the retail sector

Answer 12

-big pay gaps
- e.g JD the chief executive has 5.6m but only pays staff average of £18,300
- many households struggle

Question 13

how did the bourgeoise have power and control in society

Answer 13

-marx claimed upper class held majority of senior positions in a range of institutions in the UK
- e.g army, business , media
- those at the top likely to have gone to top independent schools to make important decisions to affect eveyone

Question 14

is the ideas of bourgeoise having power and control in society still relevant in contemporary UK

Answer 14

-7% of all MPs are considered working class compared
-29% of MPS come from private schools , far higher than the electorate they represent
- house of commons less representative = 57% of their members educated privately

Question 15

how do marxists bring in the media

Answer 15

• newspaper shape the national conversation with 44% have attended private schools
• influencing editors 43% privately educated

Question 16

what do marxists say about communism and the revolution

Answer 16

-marxists believed the proletariats would eventually reach “ class consensus”
- eventually overthrow the bourgeoisie
- leading to a communist society
-means of production ideally opened by the state and run in the interests of everyone
- this would happen eventually if the w/c became aware of their position

Question 17

strengths of the marxist theories

Answer 17

-recognises importance of the economy
and how the economy influence a range of other social institutions
- offers explanations for extreme social inequalities
- recognises importance of a social structure
-influence on other theories such as marx feminists

Question 18

weaknesses of marxists theory

Answer 18

-predictions don’t come true bc people i’m western have a better standard of living
-china is a communist country which is going through significant inequalities
- governments now have less power as corporations like apple make lots of profit and cheap goods
- marxists over emphasise, functionalists shared values are more important
-social class don’t quite work how marxists describe as we now have the emerging middle class which don’t fit into either
-ignore gender, ethnicity focus too much on class
-economic base theory is too deterministic (sees individuals as passive doesn’t provide choice)
-tried to explain everything from single perspective