What is Marxism
Marxism posits that the struggle between social classes—specifically between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers—defines economic relations in a capitalist economy and will inevitably lead to revolutionary communism.
What do Marxist believe
The idea that the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat for their labour.
Marxists argue that the proletariat are persuaded to accept this situation through a combination of coercion and ideology (the latter causing false class consciousness)
Karl Marx ( 1811 - 1883 ) beliefs
Two classes – Bourgeois – Proletariat
- The relationship between them is Exploitation/ Surplus Value
- The Base (economy) determines the Superstructure (all other institutions)
- The ruling class have ideological control through the superstructure
- The proletariat exist in false consciousness
- The fundamental problem with Capitalism is that it causes alienation
- Revolution is inevitable because the iron law of Capitalism is that exploitation must carry on increasing.
- Communism is the final stage of societal evolution (the abolition of private property)
False consciousness
having a misguided or false view of ones own position in society.
Marxists argue that proletariats are unaware of the exploitation they are facing
Class consciousness
being conscious of their social class and how it is treated in the class system
Althusser - Structural Scientific Marxist View
- There are three levels of control: economic, political, and ideological. The Bourgeois maintain control on all three levels and they all reinforce each other.
- They maintain control through the Repressive state apparatus – the army
- More importantly – the Ideological state apparatus – everything else, most obviously education and the media
. - Criticised humanistic Marxism – structure determines everything, people are incapable of having genuinely revolutionary ideas within the existing Capitalist system.
- Capitalism needs to collapse before socialism comes about.
What are the 3 Interlocking Systems that Althusser suggested and what are their functions?
Economic system: Produce all material goods
Political System: Organises society, passes laws and provides leadership.
Ideological System: Provides all the ideas and belief systems that are followed by the population.
What type of Marxist is Gramsci?
‘Humanistic Marxist’
What was Gramsci’s belief - Humanistic Marxist
Believed the proletariat can influence social change through developing their own ‘hegemony’ rather than waiting for economic changes that Marx referred to.
He suggested that the proletariat would construct a ‘counter-hegemony’ to provide people with an alternative way of life to the capitalist state.
Who argues that society is based on three interlocking systems that drive capitalism forward?
Louis Althusser
What is the Repressive State Apparatus
control the population through force - these would include institutions such as the army and police
What is the Ideological State Apparatus
control through coercion, or manipulating the way people think - and would include institutions such as education, religion, media and family.
Who is often referred to as a ‘Humanistic Marxist’ because he believed the proletariat can influence social change through developing their own ‘hegemony’ rather than waiting for economic changes that Marx referred to?
Gramsci
What are the two State Apparatuses outlined by Althusser?
Ideological State Apparatus- How the media controls they way in which we think.
Repressive State Apparatus- How we are controlled by force by institutions such as the Army/Police etc.
Criticisms of Marxism
– More complex class structure
– Capitalism is less exploitative (welfare state)
– Relative autonomy
– Postmodernism: people are free, not under false consciousness
- Work is less alienating for self-employed people
– Scientific Marxism is economically deterministic (Interactionism)
– Failure of communism in Eastern Europe
– It is a metanarrative (Postmodernism)
- Marxism has also been criticised for ignoring the freedom of choice. People choose what they do and think, they are not brainwashed by ‘ideology’
- Marxism neglects the common interest’s employers and workers may have, if workers do well, then the business does well and employers can afford to increase wages.
Define Class Conflict
is the conflict that arises between different social classes.
Which class is the ruling class
Bourgeoisies - owners of the means of production, who control the economy - which in turn gives them power over all aspects of society enabling them to rule over society.
Is Marxism a Conflict or Consensus theory
Marxism is a Structural Conflict Theory - it sees the individual as far less important than the social structure of society
What is a Conflict Theory
A conflict theory is a theory which regards society as based on inequality and conflict. Conflict theorists argue that large scale changes are necessary in order to improve society.
Dominant ideology?
the set of ideas and beliefs of the most powerful groups in society, which influences the ideas of the rest of society.
Name and explain the main parts society is divided into according Marxists in detail.
- The economic base, or infrastructure which determines everything else in society, this consists of:
The means of production, these are the key resources necessary for producing society’s goods such as land, factories and machinery.
The relations of production these are the forms of relationship between those people involved in production , shared ownership or private ownership, who controls production and the relationship between owners and non – owners.
- The superstructure which includes society’s social institutions, such as the family, education, the mass media, religion, ideology (is a set of ideas, values and beliefs that represents the outlook and justifies interests of a social group), which Marx saw as primarily influenced by the economic system.
