Marx predicted that capitalism within a socioeconomic system would inevitably create internal tensions between social classes leading to its demise and replacement by a new system, communism. For Marx, the concept of class has always existed in society. Historically, a society has always been arranged into various orders of social rank. A defining characteristic of capitalism however, is that “it has simplified the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat” (Marx and Engels 1848).
A new breed of middle and upper class where fighting their way into the limelight, and seeking to be social accepted. “Marxist Terry Eagleton posits a complex and contradictory relationship between the landed gentry and aristocracy, the traditional power-holders, and the capitalist, industrial middle classes, who were pushing for social acceptance and political power. Simultaneously with the struggle among these groups, an accommodation was developing based on economic interests”. Both writers came from middle class families although Charles Dickens did suffer hardship for a short period of time. Dickens and Bronte both have expressed their views on class segregation and the effect that it has on people.
Karl Marx was a late 19th Century thinker. He saw class as being the central category for analysing social relation and social struggles. This is because he believed that class struggles drive the social changes in our societies ‘The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles’. (Marx, Engels, 1848, pg.8) He viewed class objectively, defining it by the ownership of property. The class struggle’s which Marx refers to above is that of the Bourgeoisie, who own the means of production and the proletariat, who sell their labour.
In one side there is the working class fighting for his rights, and on the other side middle and upper class seeking their profits. As a result, frictions occur among the classes leading to a Democratic revolution. The industrial revolution has an important effect on America, but it is also a threat that creates frictions among classes
Pluralists believe that the mass media is reflective of social reality, and acts as a 'mirror'. They state that it has a functional role in meeting the demands of its mass audience, and thus owes a duty to the people. Marxists on the other hand would argue that the media constructs desires and creates social reality. In other words it is a sculptor of a worldview and distorts social reality which is based on exploitation of a powerless majority, thus it is an ideological tool of the powerful bourgeoisie and reflects their interests. Over eighty percent of the media is owned by Trans National Corporations.
Attempting to get the public’s attention on this matter to oppression by the upper class, they addressed numerous issues (Doc. A). This shows that they have used the Declaration of Independence to make their own “Declaration”. In fact, it evidently was described as prideful providing a long list of abuses and expressing the idea that the working class is suffering damage. The purpose of this document is to have a say in protecting their right to equal economic opportunity.
They state that the two are always in mortal combat. Capitalists want the maximum profit for the lowest pay and the workers want the highest pay for the least work. On the other hand, although Feminists also believe that society is ruled by a dominant class, they take a much more gender specific outlook and state that society is patriarchal and that men are the dominant gender, creating inequality between men and women. Marxists and Feminists both believe there is exploitation in society. Marxists believe in two defining categories that shape society, the infrastructure and the superstructure.
How dislike is for Mr Birling created in An Inspector Calls by Priestly? Priestly was born in 1894 and believed that the upper class should be accepting responsibility and that the lower class should be treated equally. Priestly was aware that something had to change in 1946 in Britain and, In An Inspector Calls, Priestly uses Mr Birling as a typical upper class business owner who likes to follow the typical capitalist class system that needed to be changed. In the play, Priestly wants to portray the opposite of Birling’s views and by doing so through the use of different characters over the course of the play he creates dislike for Mr Birling and dislike for the upper class. In the play Birling fails to understand how the lower class
How was the idea of social Darwinism applied by the elitist class to justify their collective wealth? Darwin’s theory was used as a ploy to justify dividing society by sex and race. Social Darwinism exerted a profound effect upon America’s social ideology and had a great impact in the American views of life. The Elitist class concluded that there are two types of race from which society comes from; the “Superior” and the “Inferior”. They formed the opinion that the superior races were hard working individuals that survive and flourish within the society.
Inspector calls-Social responsibility In An Inspector Calls, the central theme is responsibility. Priestley is interested in our personal responsibility for our own actions and our collective responsibility to society. The play explores the effect of class, age and sex on people's attitudes to responsibility, and shows how prejudice can prevent people from acting responsibly. Priestley was a socialist and one of the big questions he is asking his audience is ‘How should society be organised?’ He is offering us a choice between socialism in which the rich are compelled to share their wealth or through capitalism where you are allowed to keep more of your money. Priestly puts across his social message by making the inspector to try get the others to accept that all people share a common humanity and so are all put of an independent community.