neo marxism

• humanistic neo-Marxist

  • Gramsci concept of hegemony = dominance in society of the ruling class ideology and the acceptance of and consent to by the rest society
  • voluntarism = working class choose to accept the ruling class ideology
• humanistic neo marxism - ruling class dominance is maintained by

  • coercion
  • consent
• humanistic neo-marxism - coercion

  • the ruling class dominance is maintained by the used of the army, police and other government agencies to force other classes to accept ruling class ideology
• humanistic neo-marxism - consent

  • the ruling class dominance is maintained by using ideas and values to persuade the other class that ruling class ideology is legitimate
• neo-marxism - reasons why ruling class hegemony is never complete:

  1. ruling class are the minority - to maintain their rule they must create alliances with other groups such as the middle class
  2. duel consciousness - working class can see through the dominant ideology to certain extent - influenced by the bourgeoisie ideas but also by their material conditions
• neo-marxism - organic intellectuals

  • class conscious workers who organise themselves into a revolutionary political party who will help to create the counter-hegemony
• structural neo-marxism - state apparatus

  1. repressive state apparatus - police, CJS, military, coercion
  2. ideological state apparatus - media, education, family, manipulation
• structural neo-marxism - structural determinism

  1. economic level - all activities which produce something to meet a need - dominates capitalism
  2. political level - all forms of organisation including the RSA's which coerce workers into the false class consciousness
  3. ideological level - the ways people see themselves and the world - including ISA's which socialise and manipulate people into FCC
• structural neo-marxism - relative autonomy

  • partial autonomy from the economic level
  • the political and ideological levels are more that a reflection of the economic level but there is in fact 2 way causality
  • economic level dominates capitalism but the political and ideological function are indispensable as well
• humanistic neo-marxism

  • counter hegemony created by the working class will over throw the cultural hegemony of the ruler class - developing socialism
• humanistic neo-marxism - AO3

  • under-emphasising the role of coercive political and economic forces in holding back the formation of a counter-hegemonic bloc
  • workers may be unable to form revolutionary vanguards because of the threat of state-violence
• structural neo-marxism - AO3

  • discourages political activism by suggesting that individuals can do little to change society
  • ignores examples of working class struggles changing society
  • THOMPSON - Althusser is elitist and suggests people follow communist party blindly