theory and methods - marxism

Question 1

What idea does marxism reject?

Answer 1

that society is based on consensus

Question 2

What is meant by the economic base?

Answer 2

• the means of production
• the relations of production

Question 3

What is meant by the superstructure?

Answer 3

• social institutions e.g. family, education, media and religion

Question 4

What role does the superstructure play?

Answer 4

• passes on the dominant ideology, controlling the proletariat and makes them accept their situation as normal, false consciousness

Question 5

What is the aim of the revolution?

Answer 5

• people will develop class consciousness
• the means of production will then be put in control of the state (communism)

Question 6

What is meant by commodity fetishism?

Answer 6

• the habit of imagining commodities as having human or even superhuman qualities
• we fetishise commodities by identifying ourselves with the things we own

Question 7

What are the phases of Marx’s writings?

Answer 7

1. humanism
2. economics, politics and history

Question 8

What is meant by humanism?

Answer 8

• all value is placed on humans

Question 9

What are some strengths of marxism?

Answer 9

• explains the inequality in society
• points out the power of ideology in society
• explores society as a whole
• encourages us to look at the economic underpinnings in society
• highly influential

Question 10

What are some weaknesses of marxism?

Answer 10

• class structure is more complex than bourgeoisie and proletariat
• capitalism is less exploitative today
• many institutions today have at least relative autonomy from bourgeosie control
• communist revolutions in Eastern Europe didn’t lead to greater equality

Question 11

How would postmodernists critique marxism?

Answer 11

• culture exists independently of bourgeois control and is used by people for a variety of different purposes - what we really have is free individuals who see class as irrelevant and don’t feel exploited
• we pick and mix and construct our own identities

Question 12

How would functionalists critique marxism?

Answer 12

• it over emphasises the conflict in society and revolutionary change hasn’t happened

Question 13

What is neo-marxism?

Answer 13

a critical theory that explains some areas that traditional marxism doesn’t

Question 14

What are the two different branches of neo-marxism?

Answer 14

1. humanistic
2. structural

Question 15

What branch of neo-marxism does Gramsci’s theory fall under?

Answer 15

humanistic

Question 16

What does Gramsci argue?

Answer 16

• people’s ideas underpin their actions - they have relative autonomy from the economic base
• introduced the concept of hegemony - placing more emphasis on the role of ideology rather than just economy in maintaining ruling class ideology

Question 17

What branch of neo-marxism does Althusser’s theory fall under?

Answer 17

structural

Question 18

What does Althusser argue?

Answer 18

• structures determine the course of history and individuals are passive puppets, victims of ideology and manipulated by forces beyond their control

Question 19

What two apparatuses did Althusser describe?

Answer 19

1. ideological state apparatus
2. repressive state apparatus

Question 20

What is meant by the ideological state apparatus?

Answer 20

• agencies that spread the ruling class ideology e.g. family, education, media

Question 21

What is meant by the repressive state apparatus?

Answer 21

• parts of the state which are used to keep the population in line

Question 22

How do Althusser and Gramsci differ in their predictions on how socialism will come about?

Answer 22

Althusser = when the conditions of capitalism ultimately bring about the system’s inevitable collapse
Gramsci = when people become conscious of the need to overthrow capitalism

Question 23

What is Phil Cohen’s neo-marxist subcultural theory?

Answer 23

• youth culture = WC resistance to capitalist ideology + an active way to rebel against the society that exploits them e.g. Mods, Skinheads
• they use style to make themselves feel better; despite it not solving their problems
• they subconsciously reject capitalism through style
• they youth are more able to resist ads they aren’t fully intergrated into capitalist society

Question 24

What are some criticisms of neo-marxism?

Answer 24

• Gramsci underplys the role of the economy and Marx did talk about ideology
• doesn’t understand the importance of material factors e.g. fear of poverty, unemployment and state repression in preventing revolution