Marxist - Class Inequalities

Question 1

What theories are in support of Marxism class inequality?

Answer 1

• class conflict
• four contradictions of capitalism
• overthrow of capitalism
• Pierre Bourdieu: cultural capital

Question 2

What two new classes does capitalism give rise to according to Marx class conflict ?

Answer 2

The bourgeoisie/ruling class/capitalist class and the proletariat

Question 3

What is the bourgeoisie according to Marx class conflict ?

Answer 3

• own means of production
• control the political system
• shape people’s ideas e.g media and education system

Question 4

What is proletariat according to Marx class conflict ?

Answer 4

Own no wealth and forced to sell their labour for wages to the capitalist

Question 5

how does class conflict link to Marx ?

Answer 5

• bourgeoisie and proletariat depend on one another
• Relationship is based on conflict or class struggle

Question 6

What do workers do for the bourgeoisie according to Marx class conflict ?

Answer 6

Workers create benefits for the bourgeoisie

Question 7

What is surplus value according to Marxist class conflict ?

Answer 7

Only a fraction of profit that they create comes back to them in wages , workers are exploited by employers who keep wages low and profits high

Question 8

What are the four contradictions according to Marxism ?

Answer 8

1. Exploitation (theft and underpay)
2. Polarisation of social classes
3. Alienation
4. Economic crisis

Question 9

What is exploitation (theft and underpay ) ? According to Marx

Answer 9

Capitalism involves paying workers one wage then selling it much higher, which makes workers undpaid and Marx saw this as theft of hard work and talent

Question 10

What does polarisation of social classes say ?

Answer 10

Marx’s immiseration thesis predicted living standards of workers who fall further and further behind those of capitalist , so more polarisation
- petite bourgeoise (small middle class) e.g shopkeepers will sink into w/c due to powerful big business so widens the gap

Question 11

What does alienation say ?

Answer 11

Workers need to feel connected to the fruit of their labour and see themselves in the object they created to feel work is meaningful
- in capitalism we are alienated (disconnected) from meaningful outcomes of labour as workers feel no satisfaction as no control over work

Question 12

What does economic crisis say ?

Answer 12

• Capitalist economies tend to suffer from periodic crises
• due to competitions, high spending and profit but then leads to recessions

Question 13

What’s does Marx : overthrow of capitalism argue that the working class have potential to do ?

Answer 13

Potential to overthrow capitalism because the workers were in the majority that realise their potential by uniting in a revolution

Question 14

What did Marx: overthrow of capitalism say workers have to throw off ?

Answer 14

Throw off False class consciousness and achieve class consciousness and overthrow capitalism by revolution

Question 15

What did Marx : overthrow of capitalism will happen after the revolution?

Answer 15

• communist society
• no rich no poor
• everyone will contribute to society according to their ability rather than wages

Question 16

What is cultural capital according to Marx Pierre Bourdieu ?

Answer 16

Knowledge, taste, norms , values and skills which gives a person advantages in life associated with the middle class

Question 17

Examples of cultural capital according to Marx Pierre Bourdieu ?

Answer 17

Family and education e.g classical literature, opera , ballet , theatre

Question 18

How does family show cultural capital according to Pierre Bourdieu Marx ?

Answer 18

• Middle class parents pass down cultural capital to children
• working class tend to have less cultural capital so cannot transfer advantage to children

Question 19

How are middle class advantaged in education according to Marx Pierre Bourdieu?

Answer 19

Middle class children come to school equipped with cultural capital and education is built on middle class culture as have prior skills that gives them advantage as have already internalized these skills and knowledge from parents

Question 20

How are working class affected by cultural capital in education according to Pierre Bourdieu ?

Answer 20

W/c experience a cultural deficit as teachers attach little importance to their experience and values so are alienated, lose intrest from education

Question 21

What are the evaluation of Marxism ?

Answer 21

• ignores other kinds of inequality
• success of capitalism
• middle class
• economic determinism

Question 22

What does economic determinism say?

Answer 22

People may behave in certain ways due to cultural reasons e,g influence of religion or nationalist beliefs rather than economic or class interests

Question 23

How does Marx ignore other kinds of inequality ?

Answer 23

Ignores race , disabled people , elderly , sexual minorities

Question 24

What is the middle class Marx evaluation ?

Answer 24

Marx ignores those who are between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie ( the petite bourgeoisie)

Question 25

What does false predictions , class consciousness and revolution Marx evaluation say ?

Answer 25

Marx predicts that the downfall of capitalism is inevitable to happen in USA , BRITIAN but has happened in under developed societies e.g Russia and china

Question 26

Unscientific and unfalsifiable evaluation of Marx ?

Answer 26

Marx ideas are difficult to approve and disapprove