Marxist Theory Of Ethnic Inequality

Question 1

What are the four explanations of ethnic inequality?

Answer 1

1. There is a direct relationship between capitalism and racism
2. Immigrants act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society
3. The ruling class divide the working class for idealogical purposes
4. The ruling class uses the media to detract attention away from capitalist failings

Question 2

Who said there is a direct relationship between capitalism and racism?

Answer 2

• cox

Question 3

What did cox say?

Answer 3

• racism was something developed by exploiters against the exploited to justify exploitation
• racism has its origins in the development of capitalism with its needs to systematically exploit labour power
• early capitalism went hand in hand with colonialism

Question 4

Who said immigrants act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society?

Answer 4

• Castles and Kosack

Question 5

What did castles and kosack say about immigrants acting as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society?

Answer 5

• most immigrants were concentrated in low skilled and low paid manual jobs that were mainly carried out in poor working conditions
• In Britain, this treatment of immigrants derived from the need in capitalist societies for a reserve army of labour
• capitalist economies were inherently unstable so in times of economic slumps, reserve army of labour were needed to suit the fluctuating economy
• ‘cost of salad’ the guardian documentary highlights the numerous migrant workers in Spain working in poor conditions with poor pay for the benefit of capitalism

Question 6

Who said the ruling class divide the working class for ideological purposes?

Answer 6

• castles and kosack

Question 7

What did castles and kosack say about ideological purposes?

Answer 7

• countries in Europe turned to immigrant labour to provide a necessary cheap pool of workers
• divide and rule tactic was beneficial to the ruling class as it suppressed the overall wage levels of the working classes and immigrants could be scapegoated (blamed for problems such as unemployment and housing shortages) allowing the capitalist class to divert the white working class’ attention from the real cause of inequality so they become divided and unable to start a revolution

Question 8

Who said the ruling class uses the media to detract attention away from capitalist failings?

Answer 8

• Hall

Question 9

What did Hall say?

Answer 9

• policing the crisis examined the moral panic that developed over the crime of mugging in the 1970s, Hall’s own research showed that it was actually growing more slowly than in the previous decade
• moral panic over black criminality created a diversion away from the economic crisis