Marxist Key Terms

Question 1

Class Conflict

Answer 1

what is good for one social class is not good for another

Question 2

Means of Production

Answer 2

the resources needed to produce goods, in capitalism, they are privately owned and controlled by the bourgeoisie

Question 3

False Consciousness

Answer 3

the proletariat are unaware they are being exploited by the bourgeoisie - they don’t realise the extent of inequality

Question 4

Ideological State Apparatus

Answer 4

systems such as education, religion and media create the belief of false consciousness and ensure people accept inequality and believe in meritocracy

Question 5

Infrastructure

Answer 5

economic base of society

Question 6

Superstructure

Answer 6

social systems which control all aspects of our lives: education, family, media, religion

Question 7

Immiserised

Answer 7

the poor get poorer

Question 8

Polarisation

Answer 8

growing gap between the rich and the poor

Question 9

Proletariat

Answer 9

the working class who sell their labour - produce surplus value

Question 10

Bourgeoisie

Answer 10

the capitalists or owners of the means of production

Question 11

Embourgeoisement

Answer 11

increasing numbers of manual workers becoming middle class - the economy needs highly skilled, well paid workers to fulfil the positions required for the service sector economy

Question 12

Lumpenproletariat

Answer 12

a group of people will never develop class consciousness; similar to Murray’s underclass