Marxist + Neo-Marxist

• Name the 3 Marxist studies that give reasons for social inequalities:?

  1. Impact of Class --> Westergaard
  2. Divide & Rule --> Castles & Kosack
  3. Reserve Army of Labour
• Marxist attitudes to ethnic inequalities follow from their basic principles of class conflict - racism is an ideology that benefits the ruling class
• Which 2 Neo-Marxist sociologists talk about the impact of the media on ethnic minorities?

  1. Hall --> Scapegoats eg The muggers
  2. Althusser --> theory of the Ideological State Apparatus
• Neo-Marxist focus on the role of new institutions such as the media and the role they play in passing on ruling-class ideology which has a negative impact on ethnic minorities.
• Who argues that ethnic minorities are used as cultural scapegoats during times of economic recession?

  Hall
• Hall claims that ethnic minorities are used as cultural scapegoats during times of economic recession. He found evidence for this when looking at the concept of “mugging”. The word was introduced in the 1970s during an economic downturn. The word was used to describe street crime with the implication of black perpetrators. So a racial stereotype was created to divert attention away from the real issues.
• Halls's theory links to Althusser's theory of the ideological state apparatus. The idea that the ruling class use the media to reinforce an ideology that benefits them
• Reserve Army of Labour

  • Ethnic minorities are more likely to be members of the working class because the qualifications they gained in their country of origin are not recognised — making them have to compete for working-class jobs.
• Reserve Army of Labour

  • Marxists suggest that immigrants provide a safety cushion for capitalism during the trade cycle, When there are economic booms and a shortage of labour then immigrants can be brought. But when there are slumps and unemployment they are the first to be sacked but because they don't have the same legal protection or same expectations as British workers they don't complain, Thus they can be seen as a reserve army of labour.
• Evidence that supports the Reserve Army of Labour theory:

  the unemployment and employment statistics show ethnic minorities are overrepresented in unemployment and insecure jobs.
• Evidence that supports the Reserve Army of Labour theory:

  Immigration of over 1 million Eastern European workers in 2005-7 could be seen to support the view that cheap labour can be brought in to undercut the wages of British workers and to provide extra labour during shortages.
• Which Marxist argues that the ruling class deliberately encourages racism to divide and rule society?

  Castles & Kosack
• Castles & Kosack found that the bourgeoise benefits from white workers blaming ethnic minority workers for “taking their jobs” because if they are divided amongst themselves they will not organise to attack capitalism and the bourgeoisie can continue to exploit them.
• Castles & Kosack is critised because?

  it is hard to find evidence that the ruling class has actually organised this division/racism. Just because the ruling class benefits from racism does not mean that they create it.
• Which Marxist claims that the inequalities faced by ethnic minorities are the same as those faced by white working-class people?

  Westergaard
• Why does Westergaard believe that ethnic and social inequalities are the same?

  He claims that black people are not overrepresented in crime and educational statistics once the figures have been adjusted for class. Therefore the issue is not inequalities due to racism but due to class
• Back argues traditional Marxism is inadequate in explaining contemporary issues of inequalities (critic of all Marxist theorys on ethnic inequalities)
• A critic of Westergaard's theory on ethnic inequalities:?

  Miles and Phizacklea -- developed his theory further acknowledging that class is radicalised. This means that the ethnic minorities face double oppression of being working class and ethnic so they get pressed from two sources.