Test Flashcards
1
Q
What are the three key concepts in the context of production?
A
- Means of production
- Relation of production
- Mode of production
2
Q
Define ‘means of production’.
A
Materials and instruments, as well as the abilities of people to do and make things, used in the process to facilitate production.
3
Q
What does ‘relation of production’ refer to?
A
The sum of relations in the production process that people must enter into to be part of the process.
4
Q
What is meant by ‘mode of production’?
A
System of the ways in which we organize economic production, creating the representation (ideology) with which we make sense of our work.
5
Q
True or False: The city is a materialization of production and economy.
A
True
6
Q
What does the relational perspective of inequality imply?
A
Phenomena in the social world are relational and have material expressions.
7
Q
What is historical materialism?
A
A research-based theory that studies humankind to find patterns and laws, changing earlier assumptions of history and human nature.
8
Q
List the four social formations associated with different labor organizations.
A
- Primitive Communism
- Ancient Slave mode of Production
- Feudalism
- Capitalism
9
Q
Describe primitive communism.
A
Low division of labor and communal ownership of tools and lands, with no strong class division.
10
Q
What characterizes the ancient slave mode of production?
A
Family-based economy with strong division between free individuals and slaves.
11
Q
Define feudalism.
A
Society organized hierarchically around local communities, with obligations and protection linked to land ownership.
12
Q
What is the significance of the Industrial Revolution?
A
Transition from medieval guilds to cottage industry to factory systems, altering labor organization.
13
Q
Fill in the blank: ‘In capitalism, time is often equated to _______.’
A
money
14
Q
Who is E.P. Thomson?
A
A British historian, writer, socialist, and peace campaigner known for his work on radical movements in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
15
Q
What does the term ‘market despotism’ refer to?
A
The oppressive dominance of one class over another, disabling the development and revolution of the latter.
16
Q
What is the relationship between labor and human nature according to Marx?
A
Labor is crucial to humanity and is an active and purposeful transformation.
17
Q
True or False: Marx believed that labor is merely for monetary gain.
A
False
18
Q
What are productive forces?
A
Human labor power and means of production, including tools, equipment, and technology.
19
Q
Define ‘productive relations’.
A
The sum of relations that people must enter into to survive in the production process.
20
Q
What did Marx mean by ‘the hidden abode of production’?
A
The inner workings of factories where capital is produced and profit-making secrets are revealed.
21
Q
How does capitalism affect the organization of labor?
A
It creates hierarchical relationships and influences time management, often prioritizing efficiency and profit.
22
Q
What was the role of time-motion studies in industrial capitalism?
A
They aimed to increase efficiency and productivity by studying the duration of physical movements.
23
Q
Fill in the blank: ‘The transition to industrial capitalism changed time measurement from _______ to fixed hours.’
A
task-oriented
24
Q
What is the significance of Henry Ford’s $5 offer?
A
It aimed to increase worker satisfaction and productivity while ensuring higher profits for the company.
25
What do epochs and societies differ based on?
How productive forces fit and relate to productive relations.
26
Define productive forces/powers.
Human labour power and means of production including tools, equipment, buildings, technologies, knowledge, materials, and improved land.
27
What are productive relations?
The sum of relations that people must enter into to survive in the production process, encompassing their social position and inequality.
28
What is the relationship between mode of production and societal change?
A change in society comes from a change in the mode of production, which shapes social relations.
29
What is Industrial Capitalism characterized by?
Production described by market despotism.
30
What does Surveillance Capitalism entail?
Our attention is commodified and turned into monetary value for industries, with labor often unrecognized.
31
What is the Gig Economy?
A fusion of work-life where individuals own their means of production but often work continuously without benefits.
32
What are characteristics of precarious scheduling in retail?
On-demand work based on various sales data and zero-hour contracts.
33
What does 'Despotism of Time' refer to?
The socially constructed and institutionally reinforced perception of time that affects work and productivity.
34
What does labor power represent in capitalism?
A commodity that the wage worker sells to capital.
35
True or False: Profit and wages remain in direct proportion.
False.
36
Define mode of production.
The ways we produce define the forms of existence and our reality.
37
What is the core problem with labor under capitalism according to Marx?
The Struggle: the antagonistic relationship between the owner and the worker.
38
What does Critical Theory aim to achieve?
To understand and question the systems behind our reality and seek human emancipation.
39
According to E.P. Thompson, how is time linked to society?
Time is linked to a society's production needs and the goods it must create to sustain itself.
40
What is the significance of time measurement in labor?
It serves as a tool to maximize efficiency and profitability within the system.
41
What is alienation in the context of labor under capitalism?
The separation of the worker from the product of their labor and their own intrinsic nature.
42
Fill in the blank: Labor is a source of _______.
Value.
43
What are the four types of alienation identified?
* Alienation from the process of labor
* Alienation from the product of labor
* Alienation from others
* Alienation from oneself
44
What characterizes modern slavery?
A foundational role for racialization and economic profits, reducing individuals to means of production.
45
How does labor become a commodity?
Labor is bought and sold like any commodity, with wages fixed by contract.
46
What does 'work' refer to in this context?
The form labor takes under the specific system of production, such as Capitalism.
47
What is the relationship between labor and alienation?
Labor under capitalism is often external and does not express humanity, leading to feelings of alienation.
48
What is the definition of wages?
Wages are a fixed amount paid for the worker's labor power, determined by a contract/agreement.
## Footnote
Wages do not reflect a fair share of production and are consistent regardless of the sale's profit or loss.
49
How does Marx compare a worker to tools in production?
The worker is comparable to tools, producing goods but not owning the final product.
## Footnote
This analogy emphasizes the commodification of labor.
50
What is the significance of labor power being a renewable capacity?
Labor power is unique because it requires restoration after use, such as through food and rest.
## Footnote
This concept highlights the sustenance needs of workers.
51
What does the term 'Expenditure Margin' refer to?
The Expenditure Margin refers to the variation and manipulation in the costs associated with reproducing labor and human life.
## Footnote
This concept explains why production may move to countries with lower reproduction costs.
52
What is the relationship between price and value?
Price is the monetary expression of value, quantifying something that cannot be commodified.
## Footnote
This distinction is crucial in understanding economic transactions.
53
What does the Labor Theory of Value state?
The Labor Theory of Value posits that labor is the only source of value, with wealth created by laboring human beings at a systemic level.
## Footnote
The value of labor is measured by socially necessary labor time.
54
What is surplus value?
Surplus value is the extra value created by labor beyond what is necessary for the reproduction of the worker's labor power.
## Footnote
For instance, if a lecturer works unpaid hours beyond their paid time, that time contributes to surplus value.
55
What are the two expressions of the relationship of production according to Marx?
The two expressions are capital (bourgeoisie) and labor (proletariat).
## Footnote
This duality reflects the structural antagonism in society.
56
What determines social class according to Marx's framework?
Social class is determined by the production structure, position and role in production, and recognized economic interests.
## Footnote
These factors contribute to the formation of class consciousness.
57
What is the underlying principle of class structure in bourgeois society?
The underlying principle is 'who has the means of production?'
## Footnote
This principle highlights the ownership dynamics in capitalist societies.
58
True or False: Class position is based on social perception.
False
## Footnote
Class position is based on structural position rather than subjective identification.
59
What is the source of class conflict?
Class conflict arises from the struggle to control the distribution of capital and its valorization.
## Footnote
It is not merely a consequence of income inequality.
60
What do social reproduction theorists focus on?
They focus on the implications of labor power being produced outside the circuit of commodity production.
## Footnote
This includes examining family dynamics in the reproduction of labor.
61
What is Reproductive Labor?
Reproductive Labor refers to the work necessary for the maintenance and reproduction of society, including family care.
## Footnote
This labor is often unpaid and contributes to the capitalist economy.
62
What is Emotional Labor?
Emotional Labor involves the commodification of emotions as part of the job, such as flight attendants producing positive experiences for customers.
## Footnote
This labor often goes unrecognized and unpaid.
63
What is Aesthetic Labor?
Aesthetic Labor is a branch of Emotional Labor where workers' appearance and demeanor align with company standards, enhancing company value.
## Footnote
Examples include models and retail workers.
64
What is the concept of 'hope labor'?
Hope labor refers to unpaid work done with the expectation of future rewards, such as visibility leading to paid opportunities.
## Footnote
This is often seen in creative industries.
65
How does gender ideology affect pay in aesthetic labor?
In some fields, women's bodies are deemed more valuable than men's, leading to an inverted pay gap in industries like fashion.
## Footnote
This reflects systemic biases in labor valuation.
66
What is the critique of Marx's theory regarding class?
One critique is that there are more than two groups in society, complicating the notion of class conflict.
## Footnote
Additionally, conflicts within the working class can overshadow employer-employee tensions.
67
Fill in the blank: Marx argued that _______ is the only source of value.
labor
## Footnote
This foundational principle underpins Marx's economic theories.
68
What is Reproductive Labor?
Reproductive Labor refers to the unpaid work primarily done by women in the home, contributing to the maintenance and reproduction of the workforce.
69
What is Social Reproduction?
Social Reproduction encompasses the processes through which workers sustain themselves and raise new generations, critical for understanding capitalism and class struggle.
70
What was the role of hunted women during the spike in Witch Hunting?
Hunted women were those disrupting reproduction, such as those with herbal knowledge who assisted women not wanting children.
71
What characterizes the work of bourgeoisie women?
Bourgeoisie women perform full-time unpaid work at home.
72
What is the double shift experienced by working-class women?
Working-class women often work both paid jobs and unpaid domestic labor.
73
What does the body represent for women in capitalist society?
The body is for women what the factory is for the male waged worker: the primary ground for exploitation and resistance.
74
What is the relationship between Reproductive Labor and capitalist relations?
Reproductive Labor is subject to capitalist relations of value extraction, similar to other workplaces.
75
What are the two meanings of the workplace in the context of Reproductive Labor?
* Taking care of reproducing humans * Extension of capital relations through consumption.
76
True or False: Capitalism is purely about economic transactions.
False
77
What are relative wages?
Relative wages refer to the worker's value compared to the capitalist's value.
78
What is the significance of the phrase, 'the occupant of the relatively little house will always find himself more uncomfortable'?
It illustrates how social comparisons affect individual satisfaction and social status.
79
What does Marx argue about the relationship between wage labor and capital?
Marx argues that workers sell their 'labor-power,' not their actual labor, and that wages do not reflect the total value created.
80
What is the distinction between labor and labor-power in Marx's analysis?
Labor refers to the actual work done, while labor-power refers to the capacity to work sold by the worker.
81
What is a commodity according to Marx?
A commodity is something that gets bought and sold, produced to generate value through exchange.
82
Fill in the blank: The value of a commodity is determined by _______.
[social time necessary to produce it]
83
What are the two types of exchange circuits in capitalism?
* C - M - C (Consumption) * M - C - M (Accumulation)
84
What is the goal of the accumulation circuit?
The goal is to generate surplus value.
85
What is the difference between money and capital?
Money is an abstract representation of value, while capital is realized through the circulation of commodities.
86
What is commodification?
The process of transforming something into a commodity, making it valuable for exchange.
87
What is the capitalist circuit expressed as?
M - C - M’
88
What does the term 'habitus' refer to in Bourdieu's analysis?
Habitus refers to the physical embodiment of cultural capital, encompassing durable dispositions and social behaviors.
89
List the four forms of capital identified by Bourdieu.
* Economic capital * Human capital * Social capital * Cultural capital
90
What does cultural capital explain?
Cultural capital explains the intergenerational transmission of advantage and disadvantage in society.
91
Fill in the blank: The concept of _______ describes how individuals' social experiences are influenced by their class.
[taste]
92
What is the significance of status in Weber's analysis of class?
Status refers to the esteem and social honor given to individuals or groups, contributing to social stratification.
93
What is intergenerational elasticity?
Intergenerational elasticity measures the extent to which a child's income is influenced by their parent's income.
94
True or False: Cultural distinctions in taste are rooted in innate differences.
True
95
What is social capital?
Social position to access benefits (i.e. ties, obligations, connections)
## Footnote
Social capital facilitates access to resources through social networks.
96
Define cultural capital.
Explains the intergenerational transmission of advantage (and disadvantage) in society in the form of mannerism, linguistic style, bodily style etc.
## Footnote
Example: University students learning how to behave in academic environments.
97
What are the three forms of capital according to Bourdieu?
* Habitus
* Objectified
* Institutional
## Footnote
These forms of capital interact and influence social positions.
98
What is symbolic capital?
Prestige and recognition
## Footnote
Symbolic capital reinforces social hierarchies and power structures.
99
How does taste relate to cultural production?
Taste is a field of cultural production
## Footnote
It reflects class-based cultural resources and influences social mobility.
100
What does Bourdieu mean by 'practices that correspond to legitimacy'?
Enacting tastes perceived as culturally legitimate highlights class-based cultural resources
## Footnote
This allows some individuals to navigate society more easily.
101
True or False: Taste is merely a personal preference.
False
## Footnote
Taste is an expression of class and a tool of domination that reproduces social hierarchies.
102
What is the definition of reconversion of capitals?
Using the benefits of capital to acquire another (and better) position
## Footnote
This process indicates the fluidity of capital in different contexts.
103
What is the Frankfurt School?
A collection of thinkers founded in 1923 at the Institute of Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany
## Footnote
It focused on critical theory and the critique of society.
104
What is the concept of totalitarianism?
A system that assumes control over every aspect of an individual's life
## Footnote
It leads to repression and absorption of individuals by the system.
105
Who were Horkheimer and Adorno?
Key figures in the Frankfurt School who critiqued the culture industry
## Footnote
Both were exiled by Hitler and returned to Germany after WWII.
106
What does the term 'culture industry' refer to?
A production system where cultural forms are determined by the logic of capital accumulation
## Footnote
It emphasizes the manipulation of desire for profit.
107
What is commodity fetishism?
A phenomenon where the social character of labor appears as an objective character of the commodity
## Footnote
It leads to alienation from the products of labor.
108
Fill in the blank: The _______ of a commodity leads to alienation from a product of our labor.
fetishism
## Footnote
This concept was discussed by Marx and is integral to understanding consumer behavior.
109
What is mass culture?
A product of the culture industry that is serialized, manipulated for success, and standardized
## Footnote
It creates false needs and is central to ideological manipulation.
110
What does pseudo-individualization mean?
The illusion of choice in a standardized culture industry
## Footnote
It suggests that consumers believe they have unique preferences when they are actually being manipulated.
111
True or False: The culture industry promotes genuine artistic expression.
False
## Footnote
It prioritizes profit over quality, leading to a loss of authentic artistic value.
112
What is the 'iron cage of rationality'?
A concept by Max Weber describing how bureaucracy can dehumanize individuals
## Footnote
It leads to a lack of personal connection and individual freedom.
113
What is the significance of rationalization in modern society according to the Frankfurt School?
It is seen as a form of domination that can lead to the dehumanization of individuals
## Footnote
This critique emphasizes how efficiency can overshadow individual needs.
114
What is the relationship between culture and profit in the Frankfurt School's critique?
Cultural products become commodified, losing their intrinsic value and becoming mere tools for profit
## Footnote
This leads to a dilution of artistic quality in favor of market success.
115
What is the main critique of popular culture according to Horkheimer and Adorno?
It is a mass culture that pacifies rather than empowers individuals
## Footnote
This critique highlights how entertainment can stifle critical thought.
116
Fill in the blank: The Frankfurt School argues that needs are _______.
malable
## Footnote
This concept indicates that consumer needs can be shaped by external influences, particularly the culture industry.
117
What do culture industries manipulate us into having?
False needs
## Footnote
This concept highlights how consumer culture shapes our desires.
118
What does Marcuse suggest about social controls?
They create overwhelming needs for production and consumption of waste, leading to stupefaction.
119
What is the impact of fetishism of commodities?
It hides the labor relations within objects.
120
How are our needs constructed according to the text?
They are given to us by culture industries.
121
What is pseudo-individualisation?
The false belief that we are making choices when they are already made for us.
122
What do Horkheimer & Adorno believe about modern individuals?
They are susceptible to totalitarianism due to manipulated individuality and desires.
123
What is the Theory of Brainrot?
Sophisticated technical innovations reduce the amount of thinking we do.
124
True or False: The culture industries are considered powerful, rational, and predictable.
False.
125
What is depicted in the episode 'Fifteen Million Merits' from Black Mirror?
Concepts of limited choice, control by AI, and societal conformity.
126
In 'Fifteen Million Merits', what does the character’s number represent?
A loss of individuality.
127
What does the system in 'Fifteen Million Merits' do to anomalous behaviors?
Corrects them.
128
What is the significance of the competition in 'Fifteen Million Merits'?
Success requires conformity to the system's rules.
129
What does the term 'neoliberalism' refer to in the context of family responsibilities?
Shifting responsibilities from the state to individuals.
130
What is the nuclear family’s role in capitalism?
It serves as a wage-labor and consumption unit.
131
What is dialectical and historical materialism?
A framework analyzing the mode of production and relations of production.
132
What does ideology refer to in the context of Marx and Engels?
A system of thoughts represented in philosophy of idealism.
133
What does consciousness encompass?
How people understand the world and their position in it.
134
Fill in the blank: The production of ideas is directly interwoven with _______.
[material activity and material intercourse of men].
135
How does Marx describe the relationship between ideas and material behavior?
Ideas are a direct efflux of material behavior.
136
What does E.P. Thomson's work illustrate about time's conception?
It shows how our ways of thinking are linked to the way we work.
137
What does the term 'alienation' refer to?
The bifurcation of consciousness and the disalienation process.
138
Who are two scholars mentioned that developed the concept of alienation?
* W.E.B. de Bois
* Fanon
139
What is an important aspect of the 'German Ideology' by Marx and Engels?
It critiques the unquestioned nature of religious ideology.
140
What is the significance of the quote about the production of ideas?
It emphasizes that ideas are actively made, not innate.
141
What does the text suggest about the nature of consciousness?
It is not an individual property; we cannot have consciousness without being human.
142
What is the relationship between lived experience and ideology?
Lived experience informs our understanding of ideologies.
