marxist theory of social inequalities (section B)

Question 1

what type of theory is marxism

Answer 1

a structralist conflict theory

Question 2

ruling class idiology

Answer 2

a stet of ideas about society that are used to justify a particular set of interests

Question 3

alienation

Answer 3

workers arent able to find any contempment because they have no control over their own work and are just used to increase production profits.

Question 4

false class consciousness

Answer 4

• suggests that the proletariat do not recognise that they are being exploited by the bourgeousie.
• the bourgeousie’s idiology persuaded them to think that interests of the ruling class are the interests of all.

Question 5

whos theory is marxism

Answer 5

Karl Marx

Question 6

what are the 4 points for marxist theory of class inequality + sociologist

Answer 6

1. society has historically faced divisions of power- Marx
2. the ruling class uses idiological control to maintain their superior position- Marx
3. class inequality is justified through hegamony- gramsci
4. power is becomingmore concentrated in society- westergard

Question 7

what are the 4 points for marxist theory of gender inequality + sociologist

Answer 7

1. women must be submissive wives to ensure a pure bloodline- Engels
2. men need to exersise their control in the home if they do not have control of other areas in their life (zaretsky)
3. women do unpaid labour in the home and this is essential to the smooth running of capitalism (Benston)
4. women act as disposable and cheap part of the workforce which benifits a capitalist society (Bruegel)

Question 8

who supports the explaination: society has historically faced divisions of power. + their ideas

class inequality

Answer 8

MARX
- idea of historical materialisms and all material goods being earnt through labour (forces of production)
- a capitalist society exploit wage laberours and sell the proletariats labour to the bourgeousie for profits
- suggested 4 modes of production: primitive communism, ancient mode of production, feudalism and the 2 class system

Question 9

who supports the explaination: the ruling class uses idealogical control to maintain their superior position + their ideas

class inequalities

Answer 9

MARX
* all other institutions in society make up the superstructure
* this reinforces and supports the base (economy)
* the institutions of the superstructure support & reflect rulingclass ideology
* capitalism will be seen as reasonable and justifable rather than exploitative
* these beliefs and values disguise the true nature of society and class inequality will continue.

Question 10

who supports the explaination: class inequality is justified through hegemony + their ideas

class inequality

Answer 10

GRAMSCI
* rejected economic determinism and idiological domination of marx’s work and took on a neomarxist approach
* suggested that in order to create change, individuals need more than just economic reason to improverishement
* the working class must generate ideas amongst themselfs to counter the ruling class
* the ruling class dominate through persuasion and hegemony
* using systems to control peoples minds
* so many of the working class have dual consciousness- work in capitalism but are aware of the inequalities it creates.

Question 11

who supports the explaination: power is becoming more concentrated in society + their ideas

class inequalities

Answer 11

WESTERGAARD
* suggests that the bourgeousie will become more concentrated over time
* there is little evidence of class divisions dissapearing but widening
* this is due to the way the capitalist system operates
* so the rich will get richer and the poor poorer
* unequal distribution of wealth within the capitalist system

Question 12

who supports the explaination: women must besubmissive to wives to ensure a pure bloodline + their ideas

gender inequality

Answer 12

ENGLES
* a womans subordinate position is a result of the ownership of private property and the development of nuclear families.
* the exploitation in the workplace was reflected in the home and within relationships.
* ruling class men were required to gain control over women so they could pass down wealth to biological offspring
* the nuclear family restricted womens sexuality and enforced monogamy.
* SUPPORT WITH ANSLEY- women are the ‘takers of shit’

Question 13

who supports the explaination: women do unpaid labour in the home and this is essential to the smooth running of capitalism + their ideas

gender inequality

Answer 13

BENSTON
* the unpaid domestic labour of women helps support the capitalist system
* women renew men’s ability to go out and work and create profits for the ruling class
* e.g. cooking, cleaning and caring for children
* women also socialise children, reproducing the next generation of workers at no cost to capitalist employers
* if a man has to provide for his family, he is less likely to challenge capitalism.

Question 14

who supports the explaination: women act as a disposable and cheap part of the workforce which benifits a capitalist society + their ideas

gender inequality

Answer 14

Bruegel
* argues that because of womens unpaid labour, they are readily available to work outside of the home when society requires them to do so
* ruling class use women for when they are needed during econcomic booms
* then send them back to full time housewife when not required
* highlights how the family is central to womens opression
* they are prepared to work for** less money** as their wage is a second income.

Question 15

what are the 4 points for marxist theory of ethnic inequality + sociologist

Answer 15

1. there is a direct relationship between capitalism and racism (cox)
2. immigrants act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society (castles and kosack)
3. The ruling class divide the working class for ideological purposes (castles and kosack)
4. the ruling class uses the media to detract attention away from the capitalist failings (Hall)

Question 16

who supports the explaination: there is a direct relationship between capitalism and racism + their ideas

ethnic inequalities

Answer 16

COX
* cox suggested that idea of ‘race’ is itself just a human creation
* racism is somethind developed by exploiters against the exploited to justify exploitation.
* cox argues that early capitalism goes in hand with colonialism
* colonies justified their actions through racism

Question 17

who supports the explaination: immigrants act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society + their ideas

ethnic inequality

Answer 17

**CASTLES AND KOSACK **
* studied immigrant work in Britain and found tha most immigrants were concentrated in low-skilled and low-paid manual jobs and carried out in poor working conditions.
* capitalists used them for a reserve army of labour
* a surplus of labour keeps wage costs down
* capitalist economies were inherently unstable
* immigrants were needed to be fired and hired as the economy fluctuates.
* e.g. covid 19- BME In high risk jobs no one wanted

Question 18

who supports the explaination: the ruling class divide the working class for ideological purposes + their ideas

ethnic inequalities

Answer 18

CASTLES AND KOSACK (the superstructure)
* countries after WW2 turned to immigrant labour to provide a necessary cheap pool of workers who could profitably exploited
* argued that this was through the divide and rule tactic- beneficial to the ruling class becuase immigrants were scapegoated
* allowed the capitalist class to divert the white working class’ attention from the real cause of inequality- capitalism.

Question 19

who supports the explaination: the ruling class uses the media to detract attention away from capitalist failings + their ideas

ethnic inequality

Answer 19

HALL
* neo-marxism
* moral panics over black criminality in the 70s, creating a diversion away from the wider economic crisis
the stages:
1. major economic recession in 70s causing unemployment and cilil unrest- so government needed a scapegoat to divert attention away from capitalist system
2. media picked up robberies and created a moral panic
3. more police in areas- leading to more arrests
4. public attention was on black criminality rather than deeper problem of the capitalist sytsem.

Question 20

what are the 4 points for marxist theory of age inequality + sociologist

Answer 20

1. the elderly act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society (philipson)
2. individuals are kept in a false cosciousness about their exploited position (gramsci)
3. the elderly are forced to become dependent to create space in the labour market for young, productive workers (phillipson & Jacobson)
4. the capitalist class manipulates the elderly into rertiring and uses them as a scapegoat for societal isses (vincent)

Question 21

who supports the explaination: the young and the elderly act as a reserve army of labour in a capitalist society + their ideas

age inequality

Answer 21

PHILLIPSON
* stated that a reserve army of labour was necessary part of capitalism
* young and elderly were often put into zero hour contracts as temporary or flexable labour
* age inequality can be seen as something conctructed by the Bourgeoisie.

Question 22

who supports the explaination: individuals are kept in a false consciousness about their exploited position + their ideas

ethnic inequalities

Answer 22

GRAMSCI
* neomarxist- states importance of maintaining ruling class dominance within a capitalist system

capitalist state is made up of two overlapping systems:
* rule through force- army police and prison ect
* rule through consent- ideas and values to persuade subordinate classes
* false consciousness created of their exploitation.

Question 23

who supports the explaination: the elderly are forced to become dependent to create space in the labour market for the young, productive workers + their ideas

age inequality

Answer 23

PHILLIPSON AND TOWNSEND
* economy places the elderly in a negative position as a burden on the economy
* economy constantly needs to renew the workforce to employ more productive, young workers
* * the elderly are institutionally marginalised- through a process of institutional dependency (e.g. elderly being forced to retire becuase they arent seen as valuable to the economy )

Question 24

who supports the explaination: the capitalist class manipulates the elderly into retiring and uses them as a scapegoat for societal issues + their ideas

age inequality

Answer 24

VINCENT
sees state pensions as creating disadvantage becuase they are too low
* the issue of state pensions is made worse by setting a retirement age.
* this has been constructed by capitalism becuase of the need to control a surplus of labour and allows companies to sell private pensions.
* to justify this inequality, created a moral panic over the ageing population
* suggested this is a social construct
* ageing is presented as an ideological distraction, elderly act as a scapegoat for economic issues