MARXISM

 
Chapter  4  
 
“Society  is  composed  of  different  groups  with  their  own  interest  to  protect,  and  each  group  
is  competing  for  power  and  resources”  
 
–   The  world  is  full  of  conflict  
 
Marxism  focuses  on…  
–   Class  relations  
–   Social  conflict  
–   Social  Inequality  
–   Social  inequality  happens  when  resources  in  a  given  society  are  distributed  
unequally,  which  socially  define  or  divide  people  into  categories  
 
–   Marxism  is  originally  consisted  of  three  related  ideas:  a  philosophical  anthropology,  a  
theory  of  history,  and  an  economic  and  political  program.    
 
Historical  Dialectical  Materialism  
–   Concept  of  Marxism  
–   The  mode  of  production  in  material  life  determines  the  general  character  of  the  social,  
political,  and  intellectual  processes  of  life  
 
–   Base  of  history:  
a)   the  “material  forces  of  production,”  that  is,  the  labour  and  means  of  production,    
b)   the  overall  “relations  of  production,”  or  the  social  and  political  arrangements  that  
regulate  production  and  distribution.  
 
–   HISTORICAL  MATERIALISM  
–   Historical  materialism  is  the  understanding  that  human  society  is  part  of  material  reality  
which  develops  over  time  according  to  the  laws  of  physics,  chemistry,  biology  etc.    
 
–   DIALECTICAL  MATERIALISM  
–   Dialectical  materialism  is  the  understanding  that  the  evolution  of  all  matter  and  energy  
does  not  take  place  in  a  mechanical  way  that  can  be  explained  arithmetically  (by  formal  
logic),  but  through  a  process  of  internal  and  external  conflicts  and  transformation  of  one  
form  to  another.  
 
–   HDM  through  era  
§    Primitive  –  hunter  and  gatherer,  simple  tools  that  is  wielded  by  the  hand  –  manpower  
§   Chief  –  leader  
§   Slaves  –  lower  group  
§   Women  &  Children  –  vulnerable  group/less  contribution  
§   Feudal  –  advanced  tools  (wheel/plow)  
 §   Feudal  lords,  nobility,  the  landed  class  –  leaders  
§   Serfs,  tenants  –  lower  groups  
§   Industrial  –  steam  power  –  machine  power  
§   Capitalist  –  Leaders  
§   Proletariat  –  Lower  group  
 
Strengths  of  Marxism  
•   Societies  are  always  in  conflict  with  a  battle  over  power  to  control  the  norms,  valves  and  
resources  of  society.  
•   It  looks  to  investigate  social  inequality  as  it  relates  to  class  gender,  race/ethnicity  
•   Conflict  is  a  major  contribution  to  societal  transformation  and  social  change.  
•   It  uses  macro-­‐level  analysis  
 
Weaknesses  of  Marxism  
•   In  the  past,  the  focus  of  the  perspective  was  based  largely  on  class  inequality  
•    There  is  little  focus  to  social  stability  and  shared  valve.  
•    There  is  a  claim  that  this  perspective  has  lost  scientific  objectivity  because  in  most  
cases,  sociologist  are  encourages  to  be  activist  of  social  change  for  those  issues  that  
they  are  studying.