A sociological theory is the same as a sociological perspective; it is a way that sociologists look at something. “A sociological theory is a set of ideas that provide an explanation for human society” Haralombus, M & Holborn, M 2008 page 855. The Marxism theory is known as a conflict theory, Marxism was founded by Karl Marx, (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels, (1820-1895). “Marxism revolves around class conflict centred on the forces of production requiring social relationships to function. These combine to form the infrastructure and the superstructure i.e.
Marx called the middle class the Bourgeoisie as they were either land owners or the bosses of factories and controlled society. The working class, which were the least powerful, were named the proletariat (Perry, 2009). This Marxist view allowed society to operate through class conflict and that the bourgeoisie and proletariat were opposed. Marx believed that the real wealth was created by the labour of the proletariat workers as the owners of the factories benefited from the work they produced within their factories (Perry, 2009). He would argue that the working class very rarely challenged capitalism as those who had control over the economy also had control over their families, education, religion and even the
Functionalism developed from the ideas of theories such as Emile Durkheim and Herbert Spencer, but had its roots traced as far back as the father of sociology, August Comte. Marxism however, suggests that society is characterized by inequality is responsible for conflict and social change. Marxism was coined by Karl Marx who work focused on the increasing industrialization and the economic system of capitalism and the implications on the society. These theories have little similarities, so much so they often contradict each other. One similarity is that both theories are macro theories and the focus on both theories studies the society as a whole in a large scale manner however they both view society as a whole in different lights.
Some examples of such would be, illegally lobbying or bribing government leaders to gain passage of certain laws, or tax codes. Another form of class conflict may include, a lock out aimed at destroying a labor union, and this is called “open conflict”, or “hidden conflict”, which could be a slowdown in production protesting the wages being paid. According to Karl Marx however, class conflict and struggle are inevitable dissentions that occur because of the economic organization of most societies (Johnson, 2000). Marx also believed that class is defined by the ownership of property and such ownership vests a person with the power to exclude others from the property and to use it for personal purposes. In relation to property, there are three classes of society, they include, the bourgeoisie or the people who own the means of production such as factory and machinery buildings, and whose income is profit, landowners whose income is rent, and the proletariat who own their labor and sell it for a wage.
Karl Marx For Karl Marx the change from traditional to modern society happened because the modes of production changed. Marx also explains how societies change because of how the classes are struggling against each other, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (Marx, 2011, p 32). So we can see Marx sees change through capitalism and conflict. He saw the basic division in society is the division between owners and non-owners of the means of production. Marx distinguished four types of production that have succeeded each other; these are primitive communism, ancient society, feudalism and capitalism.
Very often the rich push the poor by removing workers rights, by limiting corporate liability, by instigating war. I could go on, but you get the point. Society is essentially a contract. The poor work in order to make the rich wealthier. That's how it works.
This essay will address the key ideas of Karl Marx and Émile Durkheim, two founding fathers in sociology. Their views on capitalism and the resulting advantages and disadvantages for society are compared and contrasted referring to their main ideas. Starting with Marx and his explanation of the working processes of capitalist society – followed by his criticism - paying particular attention to his ideas of class, alienation and exploitation. This is followed by Durkheim’s views on capitalist societies. His concepts of mechanical and organic societies, as well as his fascination with the division of labour and the connections to (social) solidarity and moral, are presented – followed by anomie.
Marx believes that we now live in a capitalist society, which is based on divisions in society. He labels the two classes, the capitalist class the bourgeoisie and the class of the labourers the proletariat. Marx believes that this type of society is unequal, as the proletariat do not receive the goods that they have produced; only the cost of subsistence is received. Marx also believes that competition drives the ownership of the means of production into fewer hands, this drives smaller independent producers to become a part of the proletariat. Competition also creates companies to drive down wages, as they will wish to make their products at the lowest cost they can, this alienating the working class and causing them to become impoverished.
Karl Marx was the main thinker behind Marxism and he believed that society was spilt up between two groups the bourgeoisie who are the rich and the powerful who control society and the polartariant who are the poor and working class. There is a conflict between them two groups thus causing Marxism to be a conflict theory.
My initial response is that the Marxists are correct as the ruling class do have the choice to raise the workers’ wages but they still chose not to. Marxists suggest that males are the most dominant in the family. Engels believed that the farther needed to know who their offspring were in order to pass property down to their children through inheritance. He argues that the need for family came about when society started to value their private property and wealth. As a result of this he believed the nuclear family was crucial and that any other type of family was a threat to society.