Neo Marxism

Question 1

Why did the neo Marxist perspective come into existence?

Answer 1

To deal with the critisms facing traditional capitalism

Question 2

What are the 3 main critcisms of traditional Marxism?

Answer 2

1. It was too deterministic and failed to account for people having free will. 2. The beginnings of new sociology which stressed social action not just social structure 3. The failure of capitalism to collapse as Marx had predicted.

Question 3

Who are the 3 main neo Marxist theorists and what are their 3 main arguments?

Answer 3

1. Althusser and his idea of relative autonomy 2. Gramsci and his idea of hegemony 3. Marcuse and his idea of manufactured needs

Question 4

What did Althusser argue about the 3 levels of capitalism?

Answer 4

The structure of capitalism consists not just of the economic base and superstructure but has 3 levels.

Question 5

What does Althusser argue are the 3 levels of society?

Answer 5

1. The economic level consisting of the economy and means of production 2. The political level consisting of the goverment and repressive state apparatus such as the army and the police 3. The ideological level consisting of the ideological state apparatus which are institutions which spread the dominant ideology and justify the power of the ruling class.

Question 6

What is the key difference between Althussers levels of society and traditional Marxism?

Answer 6

He believes that every layer has some independence from the economic base.

Question 7

What does Althusser believe can influence the economy?

Answer 7

Institutions and the super structure

Question 8

How can Althussers ideas link to covid?

Answer 8

Covid showed that the bougeraise prioritised the economy over the people through things like eat out to help out

Question 9

What did Gramsci argue?

Answer 9

He thought that Marx was flawed in linking everything to the economy. He believed in hegemony which places more emphasis on the ideology rather than just the economy in maintaining and influencing behaviour.

Question 10

What does hegemony mean?

Answer 10

The hierarchy

Question 11

What type of approach is Gramscis?

Answer 11

It moves away from the traditional structuralist approach of classic Marxism and more towards social action as Gramsci was interested in people’s ideas and meanings as he believed that people’s actions and ideas could bring about revolutionary change.

Question 12

Who can be used to support Gramsci?

Answer 12

Stuart Hall

Question 12

What did Stuart Hall come up with?

Answer 12

Hegemonic curtain through is policing the crisis study. This was a tool used to maintain false class consciousness