Marxism & Social Class Inequality

Question 1

What is the capitalist economy?

Answer 1

The infrastructure of society - with all other features of society arising from it & shaping it

Question 2

What is economic determines?

Answer 2

Idea that the economy determines every other aspect in society

Eg; families are consumers gor materials, religion is good for capitalism; teaches people to accept their place

Question 3

What is a dichotomous society?

Answer 3

Society is based on a division of 2 classes

Question 4

What does Marxism say the 2 classes are?

Answer 4

1. Owner - of production eg factories
2. Non-owners - wage slaves of capitalism

• owners exploit the labor of the non-owners

Question 5

what is the bourgeoisie & what do they do?

Answer 5

Ruling class, they exploit the labour of the proletariat, by getting profit from them

Question 6

What is the proletariat?

Answer 6

The underclass

Question 7

What are the two ways a dichotomous society is maintained?

Answer 7

1. Direct control - power of capitalism state, physical aspects of capitalism used to suppress eg. Police, army, courts
2. Indirect control - by capitalist ideology, spread by media religion and education = proletariat is persuaded to accept capitalist rules

Question 8

What is the most dangerous way of which the two classes are maintained?

Answer 8

Indirect ideology, as people become to accept it is true = no questioning

Gets working class to believe they are powerless = unequal regards inevitable and natural in society

Question 9

what has the bourgeoisie ensured?

Answer 9

That the proletariat has false class consciousness so they would never challenge their social inequality, unless they gained class consciousness

Question 10

How can class consciousness develop

Answer 10

1. Homogenisation- working class becoming aware, will occur in jobs where they have to work together eg factories
2. Polarisation - increasing divide = class revolution & solidarity
   🚫 women may do something different

Question 11

Evaluation of class inequality

Answer 11

❌ functionalism 
❌ weber 
❌ france revolution, chinas revolution and russias revolution - the middle class led the communism

Question 12

What is society based on?

Answer 12

That humans must engage in production to meet their needs

Question 13

How did Althusser develop Marxism?

Answer 13

Capitalism is not just a stage in history and will not result in a communist society - institutions make society believe in ruling class ideology
1⃣ Ideological State Apparatus eg. Family, media, education, religion = create obedient citizens, that do not challenge the status quo
2⃣ Repressive State Apparatus
Imposed order, police, law, army
When the ideological state apparatus fails this ensures conformity

Question 14

How did Gramsci develop marxism?

Answer 14

🔌 uses hegemony to describe a culture in which the values of the ruling class become the common values 
💡 working class accepts this instead of challenging it and that they make right decisions = social inequality 
💒 religion is one of the most important forms of hegemony 
Inequality occurs because people are led to believe it is enviable

Question 15

Evaluation of Althusser & Gramsci

Answer 15

❌ dichotomous view is outdated 
❌classes do challenge the ruling class eg through elections, pressure groups, freedom of speech

Question 16

What is socialism & what do socialist argue?

Answer 16

An agenda for political action
👀 Marxism is generally seen as a theory to explain society and social relationships
👀capitalism creates inequality we all need to work for a fair society where we all have an equal chance of wealth and power

Question 17

What policy’s increase social inequality?

Answer 17

Bedroom tax
cap On benefits
EMA reduction
Two year A-level when you change

❌ different political party may change unequal policy

Question 18

What does Wright say about Managers and supervisors??

Answer 18

Managers and supervisors have common factors with the bourgeoisie as they are responsible for controlling the workforce that maximises capitalism but are still wage slaves and that exploited by capitalism

Question 19

What does Wright say about the self employed?

Answer 19

They are not wage slaves but are vulnerable for exploitation from the bourgeoisie
small employers meaning that they are small capitalists === they exploit their employees

Question 20

What does wright say about Semi-Autonomous workers eg Uni workers

Answer 20

Access control over their work class position is within both modes of production simultaneously