Marxism

Question 1

Karl Marx: POINT

Answer 1

• capitalist soc = two classes (b+p)
• b = own the means of production eg factories printing presses etc -can exploit p in order to increase their profits and £ control over Soc
• economic base owned by b = able to influence the superstructure - all non economic parts of Soc eg fam and edu
• p: don’t own means of production - can only sell their labour power to b in return for wages to survive
  This isn’t an equal exchange - p not receiving value of the good that their labour produces - only cost of subsistence. Difference between the two = surplus value
• p exist in state of false consciousness institutions such as religion and edu deliver ideas legitimise existing social order (status quo) by making it seem fair and inevitable
• any attempt by p to challenge b = kept in check by state by using police and army to suppress threats of revolution
• MARX: eventually p will develop class consciousness as polarisation occurred ( wealth gap becomes so big exploitation will become obvious) - p will rise up, form trade unions and political parties to over throw capitalism and bring a communist revolution

Question 2

Karl Marx: MODULE LINKS (4)

Answer 2

1. FAMILY: Engels : inheritance of private property and the monogamous NF reproduces class inequality
2. EDUCATION: functions to prevent revolutions and maintain capitalism eg Bowles and Gintis and their correspondence principle
3. BELIEFS: religion is a conservative force the opium of the people and it legitimises the status quo
4. CRIME: Gordon criminogenic capitalism

Question 3

Karl Marx: A03 (2)

Answer 3

1. Marx is an economic determinist and ignores how other things such as ideas can shape society and people’s actions
2. Many of Marxist predictions haven’t come true eg the polarisation predicted by Marx failed to appreciate the rise of the mc, a process know as embourgeoisement

Question 4

Antonio gramsci: POINT 1 ( hegemony)

Answer 4

• b maintain its power and position by using hegemony (define)
• for p to challenge b need to develop own counter hegemony
• gramsci rejects economic determinism of Marx - thinks change of capitalism to communism won’t ever happennsimply as a result of economic forces. Despite factors eg: mass unemployment + falling wages creating preconditions for for revolution - ideas play central role
  2 ways b maintain dominance over Soc:
  1. Coercion: use of army police courts - forces classes to accept its rule
  2. Consent (hegemony): uses ideas + values to persuade p its rule is legitimate

Question 5

Antonio gramsci: POINT 2

Answer 5

• b control institutions which produce and spread these ideas eg media and education
• institutions create hegemony/consent as long as people accept these ideas,No revolution
  B class hegemony won’t ever be complete for 2 reasons:
  1. B are a minority: would need to create power bloc by making alliances with other groups eg b
  2. P have a dual consciousness: ideas = influenced by b ideology but by poverty + exploitation they expirences, can therefore see through dominant ideology to extent
• therefore: always possibility of ruling class hegemony being undermined particularly at times of £ crisis, lead them to question status quo
• but: only leads to revolution if p construct counter hegemony with organic intellectuals and political parties

Question 6

Antonio gramsci: MODULE LINKS (2)

Answer 6

1. CRIME: Stuart hall: policing the crisis hegemonic curtains, moral panics over black muggings
2. EDUCATION: Paul Willis: found that the lads saw through the ruling class ideology to see that meritocracy is a myth however they failed to produce a counter hegemony as their anti school subculture led to failure too

Question 7

Antonio gramsci: A03 (2)

Answer 7

1. The possibility of hegemonic curtains blinding us to the failings of the ruling class has reduced as a result of the internet eg citizen journalists allow us to see through the hegemony eg Covid
2. Gramsci is accused of overemphasising the role of ideas and underemphasising the role of the economy

Question 8

Louis Althusser: POINT

Answer 8

• Marx is wrong to assume the economy determines everything in Soc and that his idea of base/superstructure is limited
• believes political and ideological levels = as much influence eg if capitalism continues future workers must be socialised and those who rebel must be punished etc
• Althusser model: state preforms political + ideological functions - ensures reproduction of capitalism
  Divides state into 2 apparatuses:
  1. Repressive state apparatus: army police etc, coerce p to comply with the will of b - trad how Marists see state
  2. Ideological state apparatus: media edu etc - ideologically manipulate p to see capitalism as legitimate. Wider definition of the state than the traditional Marxist view
• also: we aren’t free agents + our beliefs, free will and choice = false consciousness produced by ISAs eg we may believe edu gives us a chance to achieve what we are capable of but this = illusion - myth of meritocracy

Question 9

Louis Althusser: module links (2)

Answer 9

1. EDUCATION: pupils learn to blame themselves rather than the system when they fail maintaining the myth of meritocracy
2. FAMILY: it’s a microcosm of capitalist Soc by instilling obedience into authority

Question 10

Louis Althusser: A03 (2)

Answer 10

1. Althusser ignores our capacity for free will and that many choose to reject ISA
2. Although Althusser rejects Marx’s economic determinism he merely replaces it with a more complex structural determinism

Question 11

Marxism and research methods: POINT

Answer 11

• Marx (like Durkheim) = positivist, believed Soc should be studied scientifically
• saw it possible to make future predictions in scientific way eg decline of religion would lead to greater class consciousness and subsequent revolution - people realise true extent of their exploitation
• this process can be considered a type of thought experiment (like d) -no actual research is carried out
• but:Marx = considered early practitioner of non participant observation - he travelled to eng witnessing poverty caused by capitalism - heavily influenced his theories

Question 12

A03:Marxism and research methods

Answer 12

• positivists = objective and value free BUT Marx’s position isn’t - Marxism in genders = accused of being value laden taking anti capitalist position
• Marx: made predictions about future which = impossible to test eg rise of class consciousness and subsequent revolution