Thus demonstrating interdependency between the affluenza of consumerism culture and capitalistic economic growth. Response It is an accepted assumption that Consumerism (a social fascination with the acquisition of commercial goods) is a cornerstone of Capitalism. Just as Clive Hamilton suggests in the title of his institutional critique of the neo-classical assumptions of consumer sovereignty and rationality, Consumer Capitalism, he argues that the economic system is dependant on consumerist practices. Similarly Robert Heilbroner’s classical political economic analysis of the Ideology of Capital, via Marxist framework, demonstrates that a change in attitudes toward the ‘acquisition’ of capital and commodities is what allowed the bourgeoisie to realise themselves to be the dominant class and thus spur the development of a socio-economic system based on commodification to emerge. However other economists and socialists argue that the desire to consume an ever-increasing amount of commodities is one of man’s intrinsic values rather than the base of an economic system, it is his ‘hedonism unchained’ (Megone 2007).
In this new capitalist period, the more simplified means of production as seen in feudalism, had developed into a “complex industrial state” as stated in Haralambos and Holborn (2008). Capitalism brought a new way to sustain humanity; industrial production. Marxism, as a sociological theory, focuses on the economics of Britain. Lee and Newby (1983) say that to “organize the production of its subsistence” is the most basic human instinct. The economy provides us with our means of survival and defines our society.
Marx's analysis of history is based on his distinction between the means of production, literally those things, like land and natural resources, and technology, that are necessary for the production of material goods, and the social relations of production, in other words, the social relationships people enter into as they acquire and use the means of production. Together these comprise the mode of production; Marx observed that within any given society the mode of production changes, and that European societies had progressed from a feudal mode of production to a capitalist mode of production. ………. The capitalist mode of production is capable of tremendous growth because the capitalist can, and has an incentive to, reinvest profits in new technologies. Marx considered the capitalist class to be the most revolutionary in history, because it constantly revolutionized the means of production.
Smith was the first economist who developed a theory about surplus value. Regarding Ricardo, him focus his work in develop the Labour Theory of Value where established that the value of commodities are according to the hours of work necessary to produce it. According to Marx, the approaches of both classical political were incomplete. This was due to the assertion from both that the human labour was the only one that adds value. However, Marx in Wage Labour and Capital demonstrate the surplus value which is appropriate by the capitalist in order to grow his capital.
The society’s superstructure or culture comprising of laws, morality, religion and politics. These are determined by society’s infrastructure, methods of production and exchange. He sees in history the conflicts that existed between different classes of people in society – the ruling class and the serfs during feudal times. The French Revolution brought an end to feudalism. But during his time, Marx witnessed the industrial Revolution bringing about conflicts between the capitalists and the proletariat, creating two classes in society – the rich and the poor.
These two groups are better known as the bourgeoisie and proletariat. In particular, the bourgeoisie use a mode of production, in the form of capitalism, to oppress the proletariat. Whereby the owners of production (bourgeoisie) use the (proletariat) workers labour to produce their surplus value. In turn they pay their workers the smallest amount possible to make a profit, thus exploiting the working class. The defining factor in what makes them a
Karl Marx was one of the founders of sociology. He focused on the effects of capitalism. He thought that the economic system of the society determined the beliefs and values of that society. Marxists believe that the most important force in society is class conflict. In capitalist societies, workers are employed to produce goods which are sold by their employers at a profit.
The welfare state may be considered as an ideological state apparatus which serves to secure the legitimacy of continued inequalities in capitalist societies. Discuss Most industrialised and industrialising countries in the world today are welfare states. These states play a central role in the provision of welfare through a system that offers services and benefits that meet people’s basic needs such as healthcare, education, housing and income. The role of a welfare state involves managing the risks faced by people over the course of their lives for example sickness, disability, job loss and even old age. The services provided by welfare states differ from country to country, some have highly developed systems than others (Giddens, 2009).
The Inevitability of Negative Consequences of the Industrial Revolution The perception of the industrial revolution as a key factor in changing the way of life is a fair statement. It is termed a “revolution” because the changes it produced were great and sudden. This revolution first appeared in Britain in the 1700s, fostering attitudes toward capitalism and modern industry everywhere. New traditions replaced old traditions, machinery replaced people, and people moved to urban cities from rural areas; simply, the way of life had been changed forever. The industrial revolution introduced mass production and greater markets.
According to Marx, this economic system which he termed capitalism created an exploitative relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, since the proletariat had little or no control over the distribution of profits and the labour which they provided (Giddens 2001:12). For Marx, capitalism is not only seen to be an unjust and oppressive system of economic production, but also one that exploits, one that limits man from his full capability, separates man from the products of his labour, and