Theory and Methods- Marxism

Question 1

What do conflict theorists believe about society?

Answer 1

That there’s a conflict of interest between different groups in society

Question 2

What does Marx say?

Answer 2

There are 2 conflicting classes in capitalist society- the ruling class (bourgeoisie) who control the means of production and the working class (proletariat)

Question 3

What does Marx say that the means of production make up?

Answer 3

The economic base of society

Question 4

What is economic determinism?

Answer 4

The economic base determines the superstructure (institutions in society)

Question 5

What do Marxists believe is the job of the superstructure?

Answer 5

To legitimise the position of the ruling class- institutions are set to stop the working class gaining power, and to make it seem okay for the ruling class to own and control everything

Question 6

What is the false consciousness that Marx talks about?

Answer 6

Proletariat aren’t fully aware of the oppression they suffer and how to break free from it

Question 7

What does Marx say about revolution?

Answer 7

It is the only way for the proletariat to recognise how they have been oppressed and a socialist/communist society would then emerge

Question 8

What does Neo-Marxism focus on?

Answer 8

Ideology

Question 9

What are the branches of Neo-Marxism?

Answer 9

Humanistic Marxism and structuralist Marxism

Question 10

Who developed humanistic Marxism?

Answer 10

Gramsci

Question 11

What did Gramsci focus on?

Answer 11

Hegemony

Question 12

What is hegemony?

Answer 12

The domination of ruling class ideology in society

Question 13

What does Gramsci argue about social control?

Answer 13

It doesn’t just come from economics, it also comes from ideas

Question 14

Why do the working class consent to the ideas of the ruling class according to Gramsci?

Answer 14

Because the ruling class controls the means of producing ideas so their ideas become dominant

Question 15

What is coercion?

Answer 15

Maintaining power through the police, army, etc

Question 16

Is consent or coercion a more crucial way of maintaining power in the modern world?

Answer 16

Consent

Question 17

How did Gramsci say that people would have to rise up?

Answer 17

Intellectually by developing counter-hegemony with a completely new idea of how to organise society

Question 18

Who is an important figure in structuralist Marxism?

Answer 18

Althusser

Question 19

What does Althusser say?

Answer 19

People can’t come up with new ideas about society and this ability is a lie created by society’s ideological state apparatuses which are closely controlled by the state

Question 20

What does Althusser say that the two important structures in society?

Answer 20

Political and ideological- each structure is partly independent

Question 21

When does Althusser believe capitalism would be overthrown?

Answer 21

When the economic, political and ideological structures contradicted one another

Question 22

How is Marxism criticised for being deterministic?

Answer 22

It assumes that oppression is inevitable for working class until there is a revolution

Question 23

How is traditional Marxism criticised for only focusing on class conflict?

Answer 23

Ethnicity and gender are largely sidelined

Question 24

How is the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe being used as evidence for flaws in Marxist theory criticised?

Answer 24

Many argue that Eastern Europe didn’t have true communism anyways

Question 25

What highlights the lack of conflict?

Answer 25

The increased affluence and consensual nature of many Western societies

Question 26

How does Weber criticise Marxism?

Answer 26

He rejects Marx’s idea that owners vs workers was the only important division- people were also divided by class, status and political grouping