Define social conflict and class consciousness.

Describe shortly different

types of alienation that take place in a capitalist society.

Social conflict is the term when there is conflict existing between a certain society itself due to
various reasons. One such example is Karl Max and his conflict theory. Economically, he saw
conflict existing between the owners of the means of production and the laborers. Social
conflict usually occurs in societies that have a lot of inequality established, and so the owners
look down upon the workers and expose them to harsh conditions and long hours of labor to
gain more production. It occurs mainly in industrial and post-industrial societies where class
consciousness exists more greatly. By definition, Social conflict is the struggle for power and
dominance in a society, mainly when resources are limited and the hunger for power is vast.
Class consciousness is the belief that people hold that they think defines different classes. For
example, the rich must be very elegant and luxurious and must buy expensive things and play
golf. Or the fact that they must know table etiquettes and join country clubs. These beliefs are
often based on family background and wealth.
In a capitalist society the country's economy and industry is mostly rules by private companies
and therefore set up on rules favoring their own terms. A lot of social inequality therefore exists
in private companies where the working class is looked down upon by the owners and are
merely seen as replaceable objects working to increase production. Alienation is of 4 types:
Alienation from the
I) act of working,

II) the product of work,

III) other workers
IV) human potential

If they are no longer needed they are easily replaced and forgotten. This gives uprise to social
conflicts and therefore leads to alienation of the working class by the dominant class as the
working class feels powerless to improve their situation.

Alienation from the act of working means they are easily replaced and forgotten.

Alienation from the product of work refers to loss of product. Meaning the workers are working
long hours and giving up their free time, working in harsh conditions, but they cannot enjoy the
fruits of their product. Rather it is the owners who gain more profit.
Alienation from other workers means that someone foreign decides the decisions of your life.
How long you will work and how much effort you should give. This causes categories to be
made in the workplace where all the workers are not treated equally.

Alienation from human potential means that the workers are no longer treated as humans but
rather as machines. If their services are no longer needed they are easily replaced and
forgotten. No matter how hard they work they are made to work in inhumane and harsh
conditions for long hours, sacrificing their own life and free time for the benefit of the
company.