marxism Flashcards
What type of theory is marxism?
(2 elements)
structural
conflict
What is another way of saying society has structures that dictate our behaviour?
top down deterministic
What approach does marxism take?
macro
Who is the main sociologist in marxism?
Karl Marx
What is conflict theory?
society is based on conflict between bourgeoisie (m/c) and proletariat (w/c)
What is the base/superstructure model?
society is built on a foundation (base) - this is capitalism
superstructure is to maintain capitalism in society as the base shapes the superstructure
What is capitalism?
a system which promotes profit over anything else
achieved by paying workers less than the value of what they produce
causes inequality in society
What is ideology?
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
How do marxists study society?
generally scientifically
How do marxists believe we can improve society?
only possible if we become classless
can only be done if capitalism is abandoned by communism
happens through a revolution
AO3 - feminists disagreement
agree there is conflict but think it is gender based, not class based
AO3 - functionalists disagreement
believe marxists only focus on the negative aspects of society
AO3 - social action theorists disagreement
we are not passive puppets dictated by class structure
AO3 - post modernists disagreement
we no longer live in a neat structured society but a chaotic fragmented one so marxism does not apply to society today
