Marxism Flashcards
(15 cards)
What type of theory is Marxism ?
It is a structuralist society and believes that institutions in society moulds and shapes individuals.
What is Marxism based on ?
An analysis of conflict and contradiction in society. The conflict that exists between the ruining class (bourgeoisie) and the subject class (proletariat). The bourgeoisie’s owns the means of production such as factories and business and the proletariat only owe their labour which must be sold to the bourgeoisie so they are powerless and doesn’t have any means of production so they are exploited by the bourgeoisie.
What did Marx argue is the only to bring about social change.
Workers have to rise up and overthrow the ruining class, however they can only do this if they are aware of the contradictions that exists in society.
What is false class consciousness?
The ruining class assumes that their particular interests are of the whole of society. The proletariats accept this view and regard their situation as part of the natural order of things.
What does the infrastructure consists of?
-The means of production such as the land, factories and raw materials
-The relations of between those involved in the production and those who control the production.
What is the superstructure?
INCLUDES SOCITIES SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
consisted of the family, education, media, religion and beliefs and values.
Therefore the base (infrastructure) shapes the superstructure and the superstructure maintains and legitimises the base.
What is alienation and how did it reach its peak under capitalism?
Alienation is how the workers feel excluded and separated from the owners. Under capitalism:
- the workers were completely separated from and had no control over the forces of production
-the division of labour in capitalist society was the most intense and detailed as the workers produced things they couldn’t afford to buy.
What did Karl Marx argue about alienation under capitalist society?
This situation couldn’t be permanent and that the eventually it will be resolved by historical and social change. Accordion to Marx capitalism sows the seeds of its own destruction and the proletariats will eventually become conscious of the true nature of the situation and will become a class for itself and so they will unite and overthrow the bourgeoisie
What did Marx believe would happen after the overthrow?
COMMUNISM. A communist society will come into existence. It is characterised by:
-Communal ownership of the means of production
-there is no classes therefore no contradictions.
-humans produce for themselves not just for the ruining class.
How did Gramsci argue bourgeoisie maintains their power?
-hegemony: bourgeoisie keeps power by making their ideas seem normal and getting everyone to accept them.
-cultural hegemony: bourgeoisie shapes culture to maintain control and suppress alternative views.
What are the three structures Althusser believes in, instead of Marx’s base-superstructure?
-the economic level: all activities that produce something to satisfy a need
-the political level: all forms of organisations
-the ideological level: ways that people see themselves and their world.
What did Althusser believe about the state?
It performs political and ideological functions that ensure the reproduction of capitalism. He divided the state into two apparatuses:
-the repressive state apparatus (controls your body): which are armed bodies of men like the police and the army that coerce the workers into complying with the will of the bourgeoisie.
-the ideological state apparatus (controls your mind): includes the media and education system as it manipulates the working class into accepting capitalism.
What distinguishes Althusser from Gramsci?
Althusser argues that free will is an illusion that society is deterministic while Gramsci argues that a socialist revolution will come about as the result of the working class actively developing class consciousness and consciously choosing to overthrow capitalism.
What are some strengths of Marxism ?
-it provides a much needed analysis of the power relations that exists in capitalist society, emphasising how social institutions don’t benefit everyone in society but rather the powerful.
-Marxism experts a huge influence on social political thoughts as it influences feminism and postmodernism.
What are some limitations of Marxism ?
-theres now more complex class structure, the class structure of capitalist society has become far more complex than just bourgeoisie and prolateriat. A growing middle class has now emerged between the subject and ruining class.
-functionalist critic Marxists for over emphasising conflict when there must be harmony and shared values for social order to be possible.
