SOC 030 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Social Forces, Social Constructionism, Capital, Volume I
Karl Marx: 1818-1883
Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, 1844
The German Ideology, 1845
Capital, Volume 1 (Das Kapital) 1867
- Marx was interested in how actions over the course of time resulted in the current
society and economy
- He argued current society was a result of economic changes and struggles of the
past
- Interested in how means of production developed from an individual family level
to capitalism today
- In early societies there was a common ownership of the land
- Classes formed when people took ownership of land and created “private property”
- Marx was one of the first scholars to introduce the idea of class- that one’s social
position is linked to one’s economic position
- The structure of economic classes has changed over time and with this change has
come change to the social structure
- The organization of the mode of production is the basis of all social structure
- Current mode of production: capitalism
- Private ownership and control of the economic instruments
- Economic activities goal is to make profit
- Laborers are free to sell their labor
- In a capitalist economy there are two classes:
- Bourgeoisie
- Proletariat
- People are stratified into classes based on their relationship to the means of production
- Marx argued that in order for capitalism to exist labor must be exploited
- Workers paid less than the market value of the goods they produce
- Laborers are just paid enough to live and continue working
- What explanation of inequality does Marx subscribe to?
- Conflict Theory- class conflict is an integral part of capitalism. Capitalism is
structured to benefit the bourgeoisie through exploitation of the proletariat
- Capitalists profit because laborers suffer
- Capitalists have control over the “ideological superstructure” or dominant
ideas in society- they dominate cultural and social spheres, allowing
capitalists to maintain power
- According to Marx, what effect does capitalism have on the worker?
- The worker feels alienated from their work- they don’t have ownership or control
over their work or product
- Work is not an end in itself but a means to an end
- Worker is exploited
Max Weber: (1864-1920)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Marx was interested in how actions over the course of time resulted in the current society and economy. He argued current society was a result of economic changes and struggles of the past. Interested in how means of production developed from an individual family level to capitalism today. In early societies there was a common ownership of the land. Classes formed when people took ownership of land and created private property . Marx was one of the first scholars to introduce the idea of class- that one"s social position is linked to one"s economic position. The structure of economic classes has changed over time and with this change has come change to the social structure. The organization of the mode of production is the basis of all social structure. Private ownership and control of the economic instruments. Economic activities goal is to make profit. In a capitalist economy there are two classes:
