Marxism, feminism and functionalism. Flashcards
What do functionalists look into in society?
They look at how institutions in a society work and how they effect individuals.
What are the 6 key institutions?
family, education, government, criminal justice system, media and religion.
Functionalists belive that the institutions are structured to…
allow society to run as smoothly as possible.
Give 2 reasons as to why people may disagree with fuctionalists…
1) they do not focus enough on the individual.
2) Marxists believe that society is structured to serve the rich, not keep it running as smoothly as possible.
3) focus too much on the positive functions of institutions and ignore the negative impacts.
What does marxism focus on?
the effects of capitalism and the bourgeoisie.
Why do Marxists believe that the proletariat accept what they have and do not revolt?
the capitalistic system shapes the superstructure to ensure that workers accept what they have, education and religion for example are both a part of this.
What do Marxists believe that capitalists do?
they employ the proletariat to produce goods which are sold by the bourgeois for a profit and only a small fraction of that money is given in the workers wages. They are paid as little as possible so that the rich keep gaining.
What are the two main classes according to marx?
bourgeois and proletariat.
What are the bourgeois?
the ruling class, they are a minority but still have all the power.
What are the proletariat?
the working class, they are the majority but have little to no power.
Give 2 reasons why people may disagree with marxism…
1) too much emphasis is put onto class and not the individuals.
2) it is not very modern, outdated.
What do feminists believe?
society is patriarchal and is run by men for their best interests. they believe that there are many inequalities in society based on gender and want to make society more balanced.
What are the 3 main types of feminists?
liberal, radical and Marxist.
What do liberal feminists want and what do they believe?
they want equal rights and opportunities for women and men. they believe that introducing more opportunities for women into the existing structures of society is the best way to being about equality.
Why may people disagree with liberal feminists?
1) fails to appreciate the position of women from different races, cultures and classes.
2) radical feminists would argue that they are not ready to take more drastic action to protect women from oppression.
What do radical feminists believe?
society is structured to oppress women and that society itself needs to change. they believe that their is an imbalance of power in all relationships and that women are always expected to obey men.
Why may people disagree with radical feminists?
1) they do not promote equality.
2) ignores the process women have already made in many areas eg work, voting and divorce.
What do marxism feminists believe?
they believe that women are exploited by capitalist societies which are run by men.
Why may people criticize marx feminists?
1) too narrowly focuses on the issues of economy and down plays those that are not economic.
2) womens oppression existed within families before capitalistic societies as women carried out more domestic labour so their husbands would work.
