e., by exploiting the working class and appropriating the "surplus value" produced by the working class for himself. (Marx, "The Production of Absolute Surplus-Value") the working class is forced to work for the capitalist since in the "Capitalist" stage of social development all the sources of production are in the hands of the Capitalist who deliberately keeps the wages at low levels by creating unemployment and a ready army of the unemployed. Marx explains that capitalism ultimately leads to decreasing rates of profits, boom and bust cycles, which progressively get worse until the whole system collapses on itself.
Significance of Marx's Contribution to Economics
Even the worst detractors of Karl Marx recognize that he was a masterful economist. His rigorous analysis of capitalism in Das Kapital is considered an unparalleled seminal work which explains in detail how Capitalism works. Marx's labor theory of value, decreasing rates of profit and increasing concentration of…...
mlaWorks Cited
Marx, Karl." Article in Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. Online Version. 2004. November 19, 2004. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761555305/Marx_Karl.html
Karl Marx. Das Kapital. (Capital). The English edition (1887), edited by Frederick Engels ONLINE VERSION Part III: The Production of Absolute Surplus-Value. November 19, 2004. http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch07.htm
Kreis, Steven. "Karl Marx, 1818-1883." History Guide. Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History. 2000. November 19, 2004. http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/marx.html
His father, however, had agreed to baptism as a Protestant so that he would not lose his job as a respected lawyer in Trier
Marxist Theory: Dialectical & Historical Materialism, The Economic System, and Class Conflict
Abstract
Dialectical materialism and historical materialism form the foundation of Marxist philosophy. Grounded in the dialectical process of epistemology, Marxist theory evolved into principled sociology. Yet Marxist sociology rests on the dialectical understanding of the natural world, including that of human nature. Although Marxist philosophy is comprehensive and epistemological, Marx found its pragmatic application in focusing on the function of economic systems and the effect of economic systems on socioeconomic class stratification. Implications of class stratification include class conflict and false consciousness, both of which are exacerbated by capitalist modes of production and the social and political institutions that support them.
Introduction
Dialectical and Historical Materialism
Building on Hegelian dialectics, Marx and Engels propose an epistemology in which the natural world is interconnected, systemic, pre-determined, and continually changing (Stalin, 1938). Dialectics is a method of reaching a truthful analysis based on the assumption…...
mlaReferences
Eyerman, R. (1981). False consciousness and ideology in Marxist theory. Acta Sociologica 24(1-2): 43-56.“Karl Marx and Historical Materialism,” (n.d.). Little, D. (n.d.). False consciousness. http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~delittle/iess%20false%20consciousness%20V2.htm Lukacs, G. & Lukacs, G. (1971). History and Class Consciousness. Cambridge: MIT Press.Marx, K. (2015). Capital. Translated: Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling, edited by Frederick Engels. https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Capital-Volume-I.pdfMunro, J.H. (n.d.). Some basic principles of Marxian economics. University of Toronto. https://www.economics.utoronto.ca/munro5/MARXECON.htmSewell, R. (2002). What is dialectical materialism? In Defense of Marxism. https://www.marxist.com/what-is-dialectical-materialism.htmStalin, J.V. (1938). Dialectical and Historical Materialism. https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1938/09.htmhttp://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/history/marx_historical_materialism.html
feminist theories: Criminology
Critical theories of criminology are associated with the writings of Karl Marx. Marx viewed the entirety of human existence as a class struggle between the haves and the have-nots of the world. Marx viewed crime as a symptom of social injustice. "Crime in capitalist societies is often a rational response to the circumstances in which people find themselves" when they have no other recourse to feed their families (Chapter 6: Critical theories: Marxist, critical, and feminist, n.d., Sage: 94). The archetypical criminal-who-is-not-really-a-criminal in the eyes of such a criminologist might be Jean Valjean: a man whose family is starving to death, so he steals a loaf of bread. Similarly, if members of the underclass believe they have no potential social mobility or access to education, they may resort to selling drugs or petty theft as a way of getting some kind of a part of the 'American…...
mlaReferences
Chapter 6: Critical theories: Marxist, critical, and feminist. (n.d.). Sage. Retrieved from:
The dominant ideas and morality of bourgeois society serve as a vital defense of the material interests of the ruling class. Without this powerful ideology, the capitalist system just would not last for any length of time.
Marxism suggests three stages or concepts of law and lawlessness:
i) an expose' of rich and powerful and their crimes - this is acceptable but purely moral;
ii) a demonstration of crime and its connections with property - e.g. showing how theft accounts for a small amount of property crime compared with fraud yet theft is policed much more strenuously;
iii) what was intended to be a major concern for the next stage - crime and law. Law is seen as ideology, as a level in capitalism, as tied to the economic relations of capitalism - in a number of unclear methods which were to be cleared up later....
Marxist theory, meanwhile, differs from the first paradigm in that it does not seek reconciliation, but rather, it identifies conflict present within society and takes a radical step towards confronting and putting a stop to this conflict in a radical fashion. Made popular by Karl Marx, Marxist theory stems from his analysis and observation about the inherent nature of capitalist society to induce conflict, specifically between those who are economically affluent and deprived.
What makes Marxist theory an interesting study in social science, particularly in fields concerning social dysfunctions, is that it attempts to show that in every aspect of the individual's life with his or her society, there is an ever-present conflict among people who want to possess power and control over the others (Hagan and Greer, 2002). The truthfulness of the claim that conflict is inevitable, especially in a highly-structured and dynamic economic society, made Marxist theory applicable to…...
mlaBibliography
Hagan, J. And S. Greer. (2002). "Making war criminal." Criminology, 40(2).
Robertson, I. (1977). Sociology. NY: Worth Publishers, Inc.
Marx himself asserted that "prostitution is only a specific expression of the general prostitution of the laborer." Prostitution, therefore, can be seen as standing as a symbol of all that is wrong with the world's socio-economic policies. Prostitutes may feel that they are free, but in the larger economic picture, they are actually oppressed workers reinforcing and perpetuating an exploitative capitalistic process.
Marxist feminists also base their arguments on other tenets of Marxism. Some Marxist feminist theories involve challenges to existing class relationships, especially as they create a double oppression for women -- one upon her class position and one upon gender and discriminatory practices within family structures. An Orthodox Marxist feminist would argue that gender-based inequalities are a product of the capitalist period. Thus, when capitalism is overthrown by socialist revolutions, to be followed by communism, women will be liberated to stand as equals in a classless society....
Marxist Perspective for Understanding Society
Although the United States and other Western nations fought a cold war against Communism for a significant part of the twentieth century, Western nations were not immune to the influence of Karl Marx, an intellectual and ideological founder of Communism. Even during the Cold War, Marxism entered disciplines in social sciences in the United States and students of sociology, history, political science, and a few other disciplines can no longer ignore Marxist perspective for understanding society today. Indeed, key components of Marxist perspective -- all of them revolving around the basic premise that societies can be defined by class struggle -- are very helpful in analyzing how a society functions. And Marxism today is not confined to the writings of Marx only but has been enriched by other scholars who helped to make Marxism a very useful and important tool for evaluating complexities of societies.
Marxism…...
mlaReferences
Andreou, C. (1998) In Defense of Marx's Account of the Nature of Capitalist Exploitation. Philosophy of Economics. Retrieved on 5 Nov. 2011, from http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Econ/EconAndr.htm
Bohmer, P. (1998) Marxist Theory of Racism and Racial Inequality. Retrieved on 5 Nov. 2011, from http://academic.evergreen.edu/b/bohmerp/marxracism.htm
Burns, E. (2011) Virtual University: What is Marxism? Capitalism's Imperialist Stage. The Greanville Post. Retrieved on 5 Nov. 2011, from http://www.greanvillepost.com/2011/10/29/what-is-marxism-capitalisms-imperialist-stage-pt-4/
Gimenez, M. (2001). Marxism, and class, gender, and race: Rethinking the trilogy. Race, Gender & Class, 8(2), 23-33. Retrieved on 5 Nov. 2011, from EBSCOhost.
Another fundamental element of liberal theory and ideology is the right for each individual to pursue and hold private property. According to Locke, each individual has the opportunity and the right to work to better oneself through the accumulation and improvement of their own private property, "it is allowed to be his goods who hath bestowed his labor upon it," (Locke, 21).
This is also a crucial feature in the foundations of capitalism as well. It ensures that as long as one works and labors hard enough, he or she will be entitled to a certain amount of private property to compensate for that labor, "As much land as a man tills, plants, improves, cultivates, and can use the product of, so much is his property," (Locke, 22). It is with this idea that many societies have promised their underprivileged or poor the chance to rise above their inherited ranks and…...
mlaWorks Cited
Locke, John. The Second Treatise on Civil Government. Prometheus Books. Amherst,
New York. 1986.
Marx, Karl, Engels, Frederick. The German Ideology. International Publishers. New York. 2004.
In the car Nick sees him look sideways as though lying and thinks "And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there wasn't something a little sinister about him, after all" (65, Chapter 4). Nick's middle class ideology leads him to scorn those who would strive to get ahead. It is the traditional view of the underclass toward upstarts from within. In the end, he loses "love" (Jordan). The text does not validate his character as an ideal.
The relationship of Tom and Gatsby clearly reinforces the class system. Tom articulates a power-oriented racist vision, saying "It's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things" (13, Chapter 1). This Nordic racism is symbolic of a biased class consciousness out of which Tom operates. He wants to retain his class power. It creates…...
Hegemony
In general Marxists tend to focus on the role of the mass media as being concerned with the proliferation of the status quo as opposed to pluralists who focus on the role of the media as one of promoting free speech. Marxists tend to view capitalistic societies as societies of class domination and the media is viewed as the arena where clashing views with the status quo are quashed. Control is increasingly concentrated in capital and the media is one tool used for the maintenance of the situation due to its ability to relay messages/propaganda that foster the interests of the dominant or ruling class. The media has a special type of power to keep things as they are. Yet the academic view of how powerful or how direct the effects of the media's messages on audiences actually are appears to vary depending on the times. McQuail (1987) discusses four…...
mlaReferences
Blumer, H. 1951. Collective behavior. In: Lee, A.M. ed. New outline of the principles of sociology. New York: Barnes & Noble, pp. 167-219.
Chomsky, N. 1989. Necessary illusions: Thought control in democratic societies. Boston: South End Press.
Curran, J., M. Gurevitch, and J.Woollacott. 1982. The study of the media: Theoretical approaches. In Gurevitch, M. et al. eds. Culture, society and the media. London: Routledge, pp. 11-29.
Davis, D.K. And Baron, S.J. 1981. A history of our understanding of mass communication. In: Davis, D.K. And Baron, S.J. (eds.). Mass communication and everyday life: A Perspective on theory and effects. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing, pp. 19-52.
international relations theory due to their background in agriculture related research and study, including a BSc. degree in agriculture, a master's degree was in agricultural development and a master's degree in sustainable development in agriculture. ith regard to sustainable development this applicant was struck by the number of issues that were purely related to an understanding of the nation state and the crisis that it now faces in the era of neoliberal globalization due to the growth in power and influence of non-state corporate entities that have become more powerful than traditional nation states.
hat is happening to date in globalization challenges all of the areas of international relations theory, whether using the approaches of realism, constructivism, or Marxism and critical theory, feminism, foundationalism, the "English school," functionalism, post-structuralism or post-colonialism. The overall topic of this author's research is ambitious. It will be to fuse the elements of all of…...
mlaWorks Cited
George, A.L., & Smoke, R. (1974). Deterrence in american foreign policy. New York,
NY: Columbia University Press.
Claude, I.L.Y (1984). Swords into plowshares. New York, NY: Random House.
Allison, G. (1999). Essence of decision. New York, NY:
ole of Theory in Qualitative esearch
Five Approaches and Theory
Compare and contrast the role of theory in the five main qualitative approaches:
Ethnography, case study, narrative, phenomenology, grounded theory
Although all five major approaches to qualitative research embrace theory to some degree or another, not all of them value the use of theory to the same degree. Broadly speaking, some cultural 'theory' is usually demonstrated within an ethnography, either through a comparative approach; an attempt to understand the culture on its own terms; a theory that seeks to understand the multiple layers of meaning within the culture in a symbolic fashion; or even a universalizing construct like feminist or Marxist theory. The extent to which this theoretical approach is emphasized will depend upon the anthropologist conducting the study. Some studies may mainly focus upon observations and detail unique aspects of a foreign culture while other studies might largely subsume the details to an…...
mlaReferences
Ethnography. (2013). Colorado State University Writing Guides. Retrieved:
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/page.cfm?pageid=1345
Grounded theory. (2013). Colorado State University Writing Guides. Retrieved:
Indeed, if one considers newsworthy events, violent revolution as a mode of change appears much more instinctive to human beings than communicative action.
Foucault's Theory of Power
For Habermas, Foucault's theory of power is over generalizing and universalizing. He thus dismisses the latter philosopher's theory as reductionistic and contradictory. Once again Habermas uses philosophical reason rather than mechanical evolution as a basis from which to change the corruptive power held by authorities and institutions. Foucault on the other hand sees power and reason as intertwined with each other. Thus there is no good or bad within power structures themselves, but rather in how they are implemented. Habermas however finds this problematic, and argues that there is then no ground from which to effect the necessary change in of these power structures in order to make them more beneficial for society.
In Foucault's view, there are dangers inherent in holding a large amount…...
An important contribution to the market ideology is that the authors recognized the existence of a relationship between employment and the market. This relationship was based on that the employment, the division of labor and the "human material progress had proceed in parallel with the growth of the market." Otherwise put, there existed a direct relationship between the market and the employment, with the market being the feature which set the tone. An increase of the market would generate an increase in employment and vice versa. However, an increase or decrease in employment would not affect the market as the relationship between the two is unilateral.
Engels, Moore and Jones believed that the future successful implementation of the communist policies would see no major use of the market; "in the society of the future, there would be no mediation through the market. Wealth would satisfy needs directly. It would be the…...
mlaReferences
Callinicos, a., 2004, the Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx, 3rd Edition, Bookmarks Publication Ltd.
Engels, F., Marx, K., 2006, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, Mondial
Groenwegen, P.D., 2003, Classics and Moderns in Economics: Essays on Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Economic Thought, Routledge
Marx, K., 2005, the Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Mondial
Great Gatsby: As Seen Through Marxist Perspective
A Marxist perspective of F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel, The Great Gatsby may be interested in social class representations, together with how characters acquired and retained riches and power. An overall analysis of the novel reveals that it portrays the extremely rich social class that does not work and devotes most of its day to leisure activities primarily. A few less rich minor characters also find mention, along with a smaller share of workers and servants seen at work in the course of the story. In terms of the Marxist theory, the affluent social class denotes the "haves." At the time of the American industrial revolution, capitalists -- the people with capital (i.e., wealth, equipment, or land) -- meant the upper social class. On the other hand, the "have-nots" indicated the lower social class, or workers. In Marx's opinion, a class with economic…...
mlaWorks cited
Falth, Sebastian. "Social Class and Status in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." Web.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Amersham: Transatlantic Press, 2012
"Marxist Interpretations." -- The Great Gatsby Study Guide from Crossref-it.info. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.
TYSON, LOIS. "Critical Theory Today." Web. 16 Dec. 2015.
Before you can tackle any type of analysis through a specific lens, it is important to make sure that you thoroughly understand that lens. Marxism-Feminism attempts to tackle some of the underlying weaknesses in both Marxist theory and feminist theory, because Marxism fails to address some of the gender issues that impact class and feminist theory fails to address some of the class issues that impact gender. Because of how class and gender intersect in The Handmaid’s Tale, it is a perfect piece for analysis through this particular lens,
The sexism in The....
1. The Concept of Justice in Rawls and Nozick's Political Theory:
- Analyze and compare John Rawls' and Robert Nozick's theories of justice.
- Discuss the implications of their views on social and economic equality.
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their respective arguments.
2. Utilitarianism vs. Deontology: A Comparative Analysis:
- Compare and contrast the ethical theories of utilitarianism and deontology.
- Explore the strengths and weaknesses of each theory in terms of their application to political decision-making.
- Discuss the relevance of these theories in contemporary political debates.
3. The Legitimacy of Political Authority:
- Examine different theories of....
Tips for Outlining an Essay on Social Class
I. Introduction
Begin with a hook that captures the reader's attention and introduces the topic.
Provide a concise definition of social class and its key characteristics.
State the thesis statement, which should make a clear and arguable claim about social class.
II. Body Paragraph 1: Theories of Social Class
Discuss the major sociological theories of social class stratification, such as:
Marxist theory
Weberian theory
Functionalist theory
Explain how each theory defines and categorizes social classes.
III. Body Paragraph 2: Determinants of Social Class
Identify the various factors that shape social class, including:
Income and wealth
....
I. Introduction
A. Brief summary of "The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead
B. Explanation of the purpose of the analysis
C. Thesis statement
II. Overview of Literary Theory
A. Definition of literary theory
B. Explanation of different types of literary theory
C. Discussion of the relevance of literary theory to the analysis of "The Nickel Boys"
III. Application of Psychoanalytic Theory
A. Explanation of psychoanalytic theory
B. Analysis of the characters in "The Nickel Boys" through a psychoanalytic lens
C. Discussion of how psychoanalytic theory enhances our understanding of the novel
....
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now