Marxism - done

Question 1

marxism and historical materialism

Answer 1

humans need material goods - use labor to get them- now tools and machines help with this - due to growth there are now people who own production (benefit) and those who are laborers (exploited) - means of production

Question 2

marxism on capitalism

Answer 2

laborers don’t receive what they actually produce in labor but rather what can keep them alive, subsequently, the ruling class sells extra goods for profit for themselves. labor workers are proletariat and the capitalist class are bourgeoisie

Question 3

marxism and class consciousness

Answer 3

capitalism drives the labour force together,larger group of people gain a shared conscious of their interests which oppose their exploiters - aware they need to overthrow capitalism

Question 4

criticisms of marxism

Answer 4

• weber - status, and power are a major reason for inequality rather than class itself (communism)
• marx two class system is simplistic - weber divides the proletariant into skilled and non skilled workers

Question 5

gramsci and hegemony

Answer 5

hegemony is how ruling class maintains its position (ideas) - Gramsci beleievs that ideas play a huge role in determining whether change will occur or not

Question 6

how does Gramsci see the ruling class maintaining its dominance over society

Answer 6

coercion - use of the army, prisons, courts etc ro force its control
cosent (hegemony) - persuasions that their rule is legitimate

Question 7

hegemony and revolution

Answer 7

modern society uses hegemony through marx’s idea of institutions such as media and ed - if society excepts this no revolution will occur. however, a dual consciousness may counter this. rev is only possible if w/c are able to produce a counter-hegemonic bloc, show an alternate way of running society

Question 8

althussers structuralist marxism

Answer 8

criticisms of the base-superstructure model
ideological and repressive state apparatus
Althusser criticisms of humanism

Question 9

criticisms of the base-superstructure model

Answer 9

Althusser follows structural determinism as marx’s superstructure shows that a slight contradiction in ideologies, institutions and actions would bring a downfall for capitalism

Question 10

ideological and repressive state apparatus

Answer 10

repressive state apparatus - army and police that force people to comply with bourgeoise
ideological state apparatus - media, ed that manipulate w/c into believing capitalist class is legit
view is similar to gramscis coercion and consent