Sociological Theory - Marxism Flashcards
What are the Bourgeoisie
The capitalist class who own most of society’s wealth and means of production
Who are the proletariat
The working class people
What are the means of production
All of physical elements that go into producing goods and services e.g. naturals resources/tools
What is ‘false class consciousness’
The concept that suggests that the proletariat don’t recognise that they are exploited by the bourgeoisie & indeed contribute to their exploitation
What is communism
An economic ideology that advocates for a classless society in which all property and wealth are communally owned, instead of being owned by individuals
What is conflict theory
A theory that society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited resources
What is Marxism
A social, economic and political perspective suggesting that the minority (bourgeoisie) own the majority of the wealth and means of production and the working class individuals (proletariat) to make goods to which they sell for a profit
What type of theory is Marxism
A conflict theory & structuralist/Macro theory
What system does Marxism believe society upholds
Capitalism - makes the rich rich and the poor poor
What is capitalism
An economic system based on the principles of business
What are the relations of production
The exploitative relationship between the bourgeoisie & proletariat
What are the criticisms of Marxism
- Marx paid little attention to other social divisions e.g. gender, age
- capitalism has grown stronger & most communist systems have either been replaced by capitalism or adopted capitalist characteristics
- massive growth in middle classes (he predicted would vanish)
- capitalism changed significantly after his death e.g. intro of wide range of health,pension,housing & welfare benefits - weren’t in his analysis
