Marxism

• Marxism

  Structural

  Macro

  Conflict
• Marx: proletariat (working class) work for the bourgeoise (ruling class)

  alienation

  historical materialism

  false + class consciousness
• Alienation: Loss of control over our labour/products

  Workers feel isolated, labour = necessity for wage = loss of creativity
• Historical materialism

  Humans have always had material needs
• False consciousness: capitalist ideology pushed onto the working class, making them unknowingly accept capitalism
• Class consciousness: realisation of working class - knowing they are under capitalist influence
• Althusser: apparatuses - ideological and repressive state apparatus - keeps capitalism going
• ISA and RSA: ideological state apparatus - persuasion + manipulation to control working class - e.g. religion, education

  repressive state apparatus - physical control - e.g. army, police, prisons
• Gramsci: Neo-marxist

  Dual consciousness

  Hegemony

  Revolution - counter-hegemony + organic intellectuals
• Hegemony: Dominant ideology through consent (convincing e.g. education) and coercion (force e.g. police)

  How ruling class maintain dominace
• Dual consciousness: False + class consciousness

  Know the ruling class are influencing but just accept that is the way society should be
• Counter hegemony + organic intellectuals: Working class make their own social group and leadership - have class consciousness

  Organic intellectuals = well-educated working class , class consciousness, make political party that will overthrow capitalism
• Harvey - Postmodernism: There is more inequity than just class = movements based on women, race and environment

  Flexible accumulation - workers need to be flexible for employers
• Critique of Althusser

  Functionalists argue apparatuses perform positive functions, help provide social order and value consensus
• Critique of Marx

  Alienation - not relevant in modern society

  Since Marx's time, working conditions have improved due to technological advancements

  People not necessarily creating products, so not disconnected
• Critique of Marxism

  Harvey - postmodernist (+Marxist) - other inequities ignored due to focus on class e.g. movements on race and women's equality