Marxism

• Marx believed


  That the working class are exploited by the ruling class
• The working class are unaware


  Of the exploitation they experience
• The ruling class are seen to be

  Acting for the benefit of society
• The working class accept and share this view

  Due to the influence of institutions like religion, education, and family
• False class consciousness


  The working class are totally unaware of the exploitation they are facing
• Gramsci's view


  • Similar to Marx, but he believed the proletariat can influence social change through ideas and developing alternatives
  • Gramsci referred to as a 'humanist Marxist'
• Gramsci's framework


  1. Working class intellectuals emerge

  2. They develop their own hegemony and leadership frames

  3. Rather than waiting for economic changes that Marx referred to

  4. They suggest the proletariat can construct a counter-hegemony to provide an alternative to capitalism
• The only way to influence a revolution is by winning the hearts and minds of the proletariat and giving them something to believe in
• Capitalism creates inequality as it benefits those with wealth and power over workers
• The capitalist class exploits the working class by paying them less than they produce through surplus value
• Marxist theory is based on the idea that society consists of two main classes, the bourgeoisie (capitalists) who own the means of production and the proletariat (workers) who do not.
• Marxists argue that capitalist societies have inherent contradictions which will lead to its downfall
• Contradiction between labour and capital - Capitalists want to maximise profits so pay low wages while workers need high wages to survive
• Marxists see the media as controlled by the bourgeoisie who use it to maintain control over society
• Marxists argue that the state exists to protect the interests of the ruling class (capitalists)
• Marxists argue that religion is used to distract people from the real issues and keep them loyal to the ruling class
• Marx argued that these classes have conflicting interests due to the unequal distribution of resources and power within society.
• This conflict leads to a struggle between the classes, which ultimately results in the downfall of the ruling class and the establishment of a new system.
• Marx also emphasized the importance of historical materialism, which suggests that history is shaped by economic factors rather than ideology or culture.
• Marxists see social change as driven by material factors such as economics rather than ideas or culture
• Marxists emphasize the importance of understanding the role of ideology in shaping people’s beliefs and actions
• Marxists view history as being shaped by conflicts between different classes, particularly the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat
• Contradiction between globalisation and nationalism - Globalisation promotes free trade but this can be threatened by nationalistic movements
• Contradiction between private ownership and social needs - Private owners prioritise profit rather than meeting social needs
• Contradiction between democracy and oligarchy - Democracy allows everyone to vote but the wealthy elite control politics
• Marxists believe that the state exists to protect the interests of the ruling class
• Marxists view the family as an institution created by the bourgeoisie to reproduce their ideology and values
• Marxists argue that religion serves to legitimise the status quo and distract people from challenging the system
• Marxists argue that the state is an instrument of class rule
• Marxists argue that the state is used to defend the interests of the ruling class against the working class
• Dialectical materialism = method of analysis developed by Karl Marx
• The working class are exploited because they do not own the means of production, therefore cannot benefit fully from their work
• Surplus value = amount of money made by capitalists above what they paid their employees
• The working class will eventually rise up against their oppressors and take control of society through revolution.
• After the revolution, the means of production will be owned collectively by the whole community rather than being privately owned by individuals or groups.
• In this new socialist society, there would no longer be any exploitation of one group by another, and everyone would share equally in the wealth produced by society.
• Capitalists pay their workers less than they produce, resulting in profits for the capitalists and poverty for the working class.
• Theory of false consciousness - Marxist theory suggesting that working-class individuals are unaware of their true position in society and accept their exploitation because they lack knowledge about how capitalist systems work
• Critics argue that Marx's theories are outdated and do not accurately reflect modern societies
• Some critics suggest that Marx's focus on economic determinism ignores other important factors in shaping human behavior