Marxist Theory

Question 1

Marxism - Materialist Conception of History - Marx + Engles - Historical Materialism, Dialectical Materialism and Class Exploitation

Answer 1

• Challenges Functionalist belief soc changes gradually
- Historical materialism –> soc changes based on which group owns means of production
- Dialectical Materialism –> 2 contradictions come into conflict + create something new (monarch vs bourg = capitalism)
- Class Exploitation –> every soc based on rc owning means of production
• Ancient = slaves exploited by owners, Capitalist = prole exploited by bourg

Question 2

Marxist Theory - Problem of Capitalist Soc - Marx + Engles - Benefits + Neg Impacts

Answer 2

• Creates new classes, oppression + struggle
- New classes: rc, mc, wc
- Benefits = revolution of production (reinvestment) + establishes global connections (globalisation)
- Neg Impacts = unemployment (technology), exploiting prol, unstable (booms/busts)

Question 3

Marxist Theory - Alienation - Marx + Engles

Answer 3

• Capitalism alienated us from human nature
• workers produce for community
- use to be: Taylorism (workers control 100% of production)
- Now: division of labour
• Communism will reconnect us with our human nature

Question 4

Marxist Theory - Base + Superstructure - Marx + Engles

Answer 4

• Base = means of production + relations of production (bourg dom prol - shapes what we consume)
• Superstructure = Stops seeing Base (religion, law) - maintains capitalist dominance

Question 5

Marxist Theory - Ideology - Marx + Freud - False Consciousness + Unconscious learning

Answer 5

• Marx –> False consciousness - superstructure + ideology blind workers to true conditions
• Freud –> learning capitalism is good unconsciously

Question 6

Marxist Theory - Revolution - Marx + Engles

Answer 6

• Communism can only be achieved by revolution:
- abolish state, private property, alienation + ideological control
- means of production owned by community

Question 7

Marxist Theory - Evaluating Marx + Engles

Answer 7

• Feminists –> too simplistic, patriarchal, ignores gender
• Functionalists –> over emphasises conflict, organic analogy provides roles, communism wouldn’t work
• Interactionists –> deterministic, don’t believe in free will - products of economy

Question 8

Neo - Marxist Theory - Humanistic Marxism - Gramsci - Bourg control 2 ways

Answer 8

• Interpreticvist approach, critical
• Bourgeoise control soc in 2 ways:
- coercion–> force so wc accept domination
- Hegemony–> bourg use ideas (control institutions promoting ideas) to make wc consent

Question 9

Neo - Marxist Theory - Structuralist Marxism - Althusser - Controlled 3 levels

Answer 9

• Positivist, scientific
• Free will is an illusion
• People controlled on 3 levels:
- economic –> need to work
- Political –> organisations
- Ideological –> see self + world
• RSAs + ISAs

Question 10

Neo - Marxist Theory - Evaluation

Answer 10

• Explains alienation + wealth inequality
• Deterministic
• Communism failed in East Europe