Marxists (inequality) Flashcards
Gramsci
The ideological control of the media and education allows the bourgeoisie to control the proletariat and prevent revolution
Westergaard + Resler (1976)
Argued class divisions have widened and can only be understood as the result of capitalism
Braverman
Argued that middle class workers have been de-skilled and are in fact becoming proletariat
Criticisms of Marx
1) Marx doesn’t consider the middle class
2) Class consciousness and revolution is less of an issue today (postmodernists)
3) Success of capitalism seems to have happened despite Marx’s warnings
4) Only focused on class, not other inequalities
The reserve army of labour
= working classes who work for very low wages in temporary jobs
-The existence of a reserve army of labour serves the interest of the bourgeoisies and exploits members of the proletariat
Engles
Men exploit women
Marxist feminism
- Capitalism oppresses women
- in their role in the family they create workers, work unpaid and support men
Phillipson
The elderly are used as a reserve army of labour
Legitimisation
Gramsci (1971)
- False class consciousness
- People are unaware of their exploitation
- Child benefit and pensions create dependency
Political economy theory
Townsend (1981) + Phillipson (1982)
- Forced dependency
- The elderly are marginalised and forced to be dependent to make room for young people who earn more for capitalism
Castles + Kosack (1973)
-Most immigrants in low paid/ skilled jobs coming from capitalist need for a ‘reserve army of labour’
- ‘Divide and rule’: racism divides the proletariat and serves capitalism
EVALUATION
- Not all ethnic minorities are disadvantaged/poor
- Many immigrants have higher skill level
Cox 1970
-Racism is about exploitation and totally linked to capitalism
- Capitalists use race to justify exploitation
- e.g. colonialism created a workforce
EVALUATION
-Critics argue this is too simplistic
- Cox is too interested in capitalism and doesn’t see racism as unimportant in its own right
