marxism Flashcards

1
Q

What type of theory is marxism?
(2 elements)

A

structural

conflict

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2
Q

What is another way of saying society has structures that dictate our behaviour?

A

top down deterministic

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3
Q

What approach does marxism take?

A

macro

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4
Q

Who is the main sociologist in marxism?

A

Karl Marx

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5
Q

What is conflict theory?

A

society is based on conflict between bourgeoisie (m/c) and proletariat (w/c)

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6
Q

What is the base/superstructure model?

A

society is built on a foundation (base) - this is capitalism
superstructure is to maintain capitalism in society as the base shapes the superstructure

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7
Q

What is capitalism?

A

a system which promotes profit over anything else
achieved by paying workers less than the value of what they produce
causes inequality in society

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8
Q

What is ideology?

A

a set of beliefs or ideas
people have been brainwashed by indoctrination via ideology that make us believe we can’t do anything to change things

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9
Q

How do marxists study society?

A

generally scientifically

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10
Q

How do marxists believe we can improve society?

A

only possible if we become classless

can only be done if capitalism is abandoned by communism

happens through a revolution

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11
Q

AO3 - feminists disagreement

A

agree there is conflict but think it is gender based, not class based

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12
Q

AO3 - functionalists disagreement

A

believe marxists only focus on the negative aspects of society

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13
Q

AO3 - social action theorists disagreement

A

we are not passive puppets dictated by class structure

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14
Q

AO3 - post modernists disagreement

A

we no longer live in a neat structured society but a chaotic fragmented one so marxism does not apply to society today

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15
Q

What does Althusser argue?

A

there are two apparatuses that keep bourgeoisie in power

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16
Q

What are the two apparatuses?

A

Repressive State Apparatuses (RSA)

Ideological State Apparatuses (ISA)

17
Q

What is RSA?

A

maintain rule through force/threat e.g police

repress w/c

18
Q

What is the ISA?

A

maintain rule by controlling people’s beliefs, values and ideas

includes religion, family, media and education

19
Q

What are the two functions of education?

A

reproduce class inequality

legitimise class inequality

20
Q

What do Bowles and Gintis say about capitalist workplace?

A

require obedient workforce that accept inequality is inevitable

21
Q

What study did Bowles and Gintis do and what did they find?

A

237 New York high schools
schools reward submissive and compliant pupils but penalise creative and inderpendent

done through two processes - hidden curriculum and correspondence principle (hierarchy and bottom similar in school and work)

22
Q

What did Cohen say about preparing w/c for work?

A

serve capitalism by not teaching young workers genuine skills but attitudes and values needed to be a subordinate worker

means they accept low pay and lowers aspirations

23
Q

What did Bowles and Gintis say about myth of meritocracy?

A

don’t believe meritocracy exists
says people do well based on income, class background etc and not ability

means privileges of higher classes are justified and w/c accept inequality and don’t try to overthrow them

24
Q

What system do Bowles and Gintis come up with that says system justifies poverty?
What is it?

A

‘poor and dumb’

poverty is not the fault of individual not being clever/working hard enough as opposed to the true cause, capitalism

25
Who disagrees with Bowles and Gintis?
Willis
26
What does Willis say?
people can resist being indoctrinated by myth of meritocracy
27
Willis’ study - lad’s counter culture
12 w/c boys reject values of school and name call the ones that try reject that w/c can achieve through effort similar in factory where they see manual work as superior and fit into these jobs
28
AO3 - postmodernist disagreement on Bowles and Gintis
now in post fordist economy which requires schools to produce different labour forces
29
AO3 - marxist disagreement with eachother
e.g Bowles and Gintis take deterministic approach but Willis takes marxist and interactionist approach
30
AO3 - criticism of Willis
he ‘romanticises’ lads as w/c heroes when they are sexist and anti achool not representative as he only studied 12 bots
31
AO3 - e.g feminist disagreement
marxists take class first approach instead of other factors e.g gender, ethnicity, sexuality also ignore how factors interlink