Theories: Conflict Theories

Question 1

[🟠] what is Marxism?

Answer 1

• It’s a conflict theory that believes that most societies have inequalities
• The interests of the powerful go directly against the interest of the surbodinate groups
• It may seem that society is in consensus but that’s only because the subordinate groups are socialised to accept their inferiority
• The powerful use the concept of ideology to justify their position in society

Question 2

[🟠] what does Karl Marx state?

Answer 2

• Relations of productions
• Bourgeoisie owns the means of production ( the wealthy to invest and aim to make a profit) their ownership gives them power to exploit the subject class using them for their own gain
• • The proletariat/subject class have little to no wealth, they have to work to earn a living
• Marx believed society is unequal because the subject class was exploited ( they earned a small value of the goods they made)

Question 3

[🟠] what is the structure of society?

Answer 3

-The Infrastructure largely shapes the superstructure
- Infrastructure: The economic system that provides people material needs
- Superstructure: the institutions. Eg: the family, media, education
- Other parts of the superstructure reinforce the position of the ruling class. Eg: the education system provides the workforce capitalism requires.
- The ruling class ideology justifies and legitimises the social order
- False class conscious - we are unaware of our exploitation by the distraction of our desire to consume therefore we see no alternatives

Question 4

[🟠] what is alienation?

Answer 4

• It is the loss control over their labour as they no longer as we no longer create things to meet our needs
• It is worse in capitalism as they are separated from and have no control over the means of production
• The division of labour is so intense workers are reduced to meaningless labourers as they repeat meaningless task
• Their work becomes a means to an end, a means of obtaining money to buy the goods and services necessary for their existence

Question 5

[🟠] what does Marx say about going from capitalism to communism ?

Answer 5

• Marx believed that the subject class will realise their own exploitation and reject the ruling class ideology
• They would overthrow the system of capitalism and become a communist society
• Where everyone owned the means of production and people worked to benefit all not just the ruling class

Question 6

[🟠] Evaluation of Karl Marx’s theory?

Answer 6

• Marx thought that there would be a growing class conflict however that has not occurred. Instead class has been institutionalised with certain political parties representing different classes
• There has been a growing middle class therefore class divisions are unclear
• WEBER: status and power differences can be an important source of inequality
• Feminists: gender is a more fundamental source of inequality
• Communist society: Significant social inequalities in communist regimes, The Soviet Union
  Economic determinism: accused Marx of economic determinism that money shapes people’s behaviour

Question 7

[🟠] what is the humanistic neo-Marxist approach

Answer 7

GRAMSCI

Question 8

[🟠] Evaluation of the humanistic approach ?

Question 9

[🟠] what is the structuralist neo-Marxist approach

Answer 9

ALTHUSSER

Question 10

[🟠] what is Althusser’s criticism of humanism ?

Question 11

[🟠] Evaluation of Althusser

Question 12

[🩷] what is liberal feminists view?

Question 13

[🩷] what does Oakley say about sex and gender ?

Question 14

[🩷] Evaluation of liberal feminism

Question 15

[🩷] what’s Marxist feminist view?

Question 16

[🩷] Evaluation of Marxist feminism

Question 17

[🩷] What’s Radical feminists view?

Question 18

[🩷] Rad fems

Question 19

[🩷] what are the solutions that Radical Feminists propose?

Question 20

[🩷] Evaluation of Radical Feminists ?

Question 21

[🩷] What is dual system feminism ?

Question 22

[🩷] What is difference/intersectional feminism ?