SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY: MARXISM. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nEgjwfX6s8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeGSSgdZpo&has_verified=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvhBHWNYGxE

This is Karl MARX. Remember his name: he’s one of the most important thinkers of modern(ish) times. To put it short, this is what he thought: 1. Society is in a state of CONFLICT between the rich and the poor. 2. Society uses a system called CAPITALISM to keep the rich - rich and the poor – poor. 3. CAPITALISM is an economic system where a small minority of society own the FORCES OF PRODUCTION (factories & information). 4. This minority is called the RULING CLASS (or the BOURGEOSIE) – they employ people to work for them to produce goods that they sell. 5. Marx called this arrangement the RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION and argued it EXPLOITED the SUBJECT CLASS (or the PROLETARIAT).

http://www. youtube. com/watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joaFOU2EYQE&feature=related = Organ harvesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeROnVUADj0 = Capitalism: A Love Story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHL6L9i2AWA = Dragon’s Den.

So – how have we ended up with CAPITALISM? Marx proposed the idea that our society has gone through the following stages: PRIMITIVE COMMUNISM SLAVERY FEUDALISM CAPITALISM

Capitalism explained… We live in a CAPITALIST society. CAPITALISM is an economic system based on the principles of business: *poorer people (the SUBJECT CLASS or PROLETARIAT being employed by the rich people or the government (the RULING CLASS or BOURGEOISIE) for a wage to make products; * which are sold to consumers for more than they cost to make * which results in a SURPLUS of money or PROFIT for the business people.

The means of production are the tools, the machines and the materials needed to mass produce goods. These are owned and controlled by the RULING CLASS or BOURGEOSIE. The RULING CLASS employ the SUBJECT CLASS or PROLETARIAT They produce goods using these MEANS OF PRODUCTION.

The relationship between a boss and a worker is an exploitative one The relationship between a boss and a worker is an exploitative one. The worker does what the boss tells them. Everything is for the benefit of the boss (or RULING CLASS). Nothing is for the benefit of the worker (the SUBJECT CLASS). We call this miserable relationship between the RULING CLASS and the SUBJECT CLASS, the RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION. The RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION are about EXPLOITATION and ALIENATION. It means that people in this CAPITALIST class structure, feel tied to their jobs, tied to their possessions and feel that they just live to work. They lose their sense of humanity.

Because making PROFIT basically means ripping people off, the CAPITALISTS or, business people, have to come up with ways to cover up the unfairness. They do it using something called IDEOLOGY. IDEOLOGY is the way in which people are told to think by those in power. Because the RULING CLASS are in power, they use IDEOLOGY to make up ways to convince the SUBJECT CLASS that CAPITALISM is normal, fair and right, even though it blatantly isn’t.

Task: go through all your clothes and find out the following information: Item. Where it was made. Brand. Material. Cost to buy. Estimated cost to make.

Society is made up of two main parts: the INFRASTRUCTURE and the SUPERSTRUCTURE. The INFRASTRUCTURE is the economy of a society; it’s the basic physical and organizational structures needed for a society to function. It’s roads, factories, shops, hospitals , businesses and so on. The way these factories, shops and businesses are run are exploitative, as you’ve just seen. It involves paying the RULING CLASS too little for what they do and what they produce and then charging them a fortune for stuff they buy as CONSUMERS.

THIS IS REALLY STUPID.

WHY DO WE LET THIS HAPPEN?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH_DkBI9Qsk – We Want Your Soul. We don’t “LET IT HAPPEN”. CAPITALIST IDEOLOGY is used by the RULING CLASS to convince us that we need loads of stuff ….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH_DkBI9Qsk – We Want Your Soul.

A bloke called Althusser came up with the idea of IDEOLOGICAL STATE APPARATUS. This is APPARATUS or equipment Used by the STATE or RULING CLASS or GOVERNMENT To push their CAPITALIST norms and values on the people.

IF YOU HAVE ON E OF THESE IN YOUR HOME, BEWARE – IT IS BEING USED BY CAPITALISTS TO HYPNOTISE YOU INTO BELIEVING THAT IT’S NORMAL TO HAVE A BIG BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT ARE KEPT POOR BY THE RICH.

Why can’t we reject these messages?

IDEOLOGY was responsible for this FALSE CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS. Marx argued that there was serious CLASS CONFLICT in CAPITALIST society because of this exploitation. He argued that the RULING CLASS, in particular, were suffering from FALSE CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS. This means that they were just not aware of how much they were being exploited as workers and consumers. IDEOLOGY was responsible for this FALSE CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS.

I predicted that a REVOLUTION would overthrow the RULING CLASS. I predicted that there would come a time when the SUBJECT CLASS wouldn’t take this faeces from the CAPITALIST system any more. I predicted that a REVOLUTION would overthrow the RULING CLASS.

We would then have a COMMUNIST society where everything would be owned and controlled by the people.

Strengths of Marxism…. It’s a structuralist approach which links the major institutions. Marxism has been a major influence on Sociology. Emphasises the importance of the economy unlike functionalism. Tries to link the structural elements of society with the consciousness or thought of the individual – alienation. Acknowledges what people think of the way in which society is organised and their place in it.

Functionalists criticise Marxism for over-emphasising conflict when there must be harmony and shared values for social order to be possible. It is seen as economically deterministic; everything revolves around money. Classic Marxism has ignored the role of women in society. What revolution?? Russia and China have actually become capitalist & turned their backs on communism. Society doesn’t always operate in the interests of the ruling class.