The Theories of Social Structure - Essay Example

?History of the Theories of Social Structure, Social Movement, and Gender It is a fact that among the most fundamental concepts that Marxism attempts to address are the relationships that exist in the society. According to the Marxist ideology, societies can be divided into the social structure and the economic structure the former that consists of those ideas and institutions that do not deal with the economy, which include the family, government, political parties, education, and religion. The economic structure, on the other hand, is composed of the various relations that influence the forces of production, the latter that consist of land, labour, capital, and technology. The institution which has been termed, as relations of production are the diverse relationships between the classes of people who are involved in the economic process and the best example that can be stated of this concept is the relationship between a slave and his owner. It is a common Marxist belief that the economic structure has an effect on the social structure, but while this may be the case, there is also an emphasis that social structure also has an effect on the economic structure. Thus, there exists a vital relationship between the social ideas, class relations, the forces of production as well as those institutions that are not involved with the economy yet play a crucial role in the day-to-day running of the life of the society. The fact that Marxists are all in accord that social class has a direct effect on the economy is fundamental because it shows how societies develop within their own contexts. For critical Marxists, it is crucial to not the importance of power in any society because it is often derivative of the relations between the various classes within it. Therefore, because the capitalists control all the capital in their societies, they are able to do what they want to their workers; so that they can hire, fire, and exploit them as much as they wish without any serious consequences to themselves. In this context, capitalists are the economic power within the society, and a s a consequence of being able to control the economy, they also have political power which they use to protect their own interests. The political power of capitalists is defined by Marxists as being in their ability to spend large amounts of money on election campaigns; a fact which not only enable them to gain leverage against other less economically powerful individuals, but also to sustain their dominance of the economy (Morrison, 2006). This is often done through their passing of legislation and policies, which are favourable to their businesses, creating an environment that is conducive to making them wealthier and retain the status quo. According to the Marxists, it is often the ability of the capitalists to control the media that enables them to control the way the society thinks and operates. It is their ability to control the thoughts of the public through entertainment that enables them to ensure that the masses accept the status quo and do not challenge it. The Marxist theory tends to emphasize the role of mass media in the reproduction of the status quo and it further suggests that a direct link exists between economic ownership and the dissemination of messages that affirm the legitimacy and the value of a class society. These philosophers gave emphasis to the ideological effects of media in the interests of a ruling class, in replicating the fundamentally unfair connections and exploitation, and in making legitimate the ascendancy of capitalism and the subjugation of the working class (Dugger & Sherman, 1994). According to Marxists, the media institution must be considered a part of the economic system with close links to the political system. The consequence of this can be seen through the reduction of independent media sources, the concentration of the news on large markets, the avoidance of risks by media houses, and the reduction of investment in less profitable media tasks such as investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking. There is also a neglect of the inferior segments of the potential audience and the range of news media is often politically unbalanced (Giddens and Sutton, 2013). It is a fact that in determining class structure, especially in the modern society, technology and ideas of class are often related to each other. In the Marxist view, the social structure of the society is often determined by the economic base, and within the latter, it is the forces of production that determine the relationship between the producer and the consumer. Because of the fact that technology is the most important aspect of the forces of production, it is therefore true to say that, it is what determines the ideas concerning the societal structure. The key interactions between the various classes in the society are determined by the ideas that exist within the society, so that in a rigid class structure such as feudalism in Europe, the fact that there are changes in technology would mean that there is an increase in agricultural output. As a result, there would be the presence of a surplus, which in turn would mean the development of trade for the surplus agricultural products. This trade would be conducted with the cities, which are also the places where there are individuals that specialize in the development of various crafts. Within these cities, there would be a rise of a merchant class whose main purpose would be the purchase of the agricultural products as well as the craft products that are developed in the cities. While this may be the case, the development of new technology has no place in feudalism, since the feudal lord has no wish of becoming a merchant, nor does he wish the serfs in his lands to escape their servitude and end up becoming craftsmen and merchants (Mills, 2003). Consequently, the feudal lord will take steps to ensure that there are limits to the development of craft technology, that he prohibits banking, as well as the heavy taxation of merchants to ensure that economic progress is held in check. Since the feudal period in Europe, there was class conflict as exemplified through the growth of technological potential, which led to friction between the various classes. This was because of the fact that the people in the cities wanted to be independent from the feudal regulations, which restricted their access to the sources of raw materials as well as the markets for their products. On the other hand, the serfs aspired to gain their freedom through going to the cities where they could make a living either as craftsmen or as merchants. In between these aspirations were the feudal lords, who fought with all that they had to ensure that they retained the status quo, where they dominated the entire society. The frictions between the various classes were reflected through the political upheavals which led to a number of changes in the society, the most noteworthy being the English revolution of 1648 and the French revolution of 1789 (Fulcher and Scott, 2011). The fact that such class frictions existed can be attested through the writings of the period among the most popular being those of Voltaire, Jean Jaques Rousseau, and Thomas Paine. Such writing did not merely reflect society, but played an active role in changing it, because it was through them that individuals became conscious of the need for change in their societies. In the modern world, the example of the United States can be given as one where there is class conflict. The fact that in the United States, there have recently been fights over the taxation of the capital gains is a reflection of the protection of class interests; a matter which is likely to lead to class conflict. The actions of the various presidents as well as the debates concerning the matter in Congress are among the instances where the class interests are given vent since the ideological warfare that takes place is more often than not over whether the taxing of capital gains is good or bad for the economy. Throughout history, the various classes tend to have their own ideas concerning the diverse matters affecting society, and therefore, they often believe that their ideological standards are the best for the entire nation (Levins, 2011). Therefore, when President Bush agreed to the lowering of taxes on capital gains, he did so not because they would enable the benefit of the wealthy class, to which he belongs, but argued that the lowering of these taxes would lead to more investments. He claimed that because of the increase of such investments, more job opportunities would be created, hence lowering the unemployment rates in the United States. However, despite his arguments, what Bush was doing was protecting the interests of his own class; meaning that this was class conflict. The understanding of social classes through a Marxist viewpoint is extremely important for those individuals who wish to analyse capitalism. It has been stated that according to the Marxist ideology, the politics of class within the society are often structured through a principle of antagonism, mainly between capital and labour. The class politics are often based on the protection of the interests of particular classes, so that each class attempts to promote its own ideologies concerning what the ideal society should be like. Marxist thought implies that capitalism is a superstructure whose main purpose is to govern political identity and restrain any political possibilities through the retention of the status quo. During normal times, capitalism may allow there to be a compromise between the various classes as well as politics based on reform, but during instances of crisis, it may allow for the development of revolutionary projects whose aims are the transformation of the classes. It can further be argued that the stratification, conflict, and politics between the classes are not only because of the actions of the bourgeoisie, but also because of the existence of a capitalist society. Such a society often creates a situation where there is constant conflict, which pits capital against labour, so that there is a prioritization of the making of profits over the people who work for the industries that enable the production of such profits. In the Marxist analysis of class, it is often considered to be important for a class to achieve its own consciousness and the failure to do so means that the class suffers from false consciousness (Hughes, Sharrock and Martin, 2003). The beliefs of individual classes and their actions often take place because of the beliefs and consciousness that are available to them. While this may be the case, the best meanings and actions are often twisted by the myths that have developed within social classes. The fact that social classes exist in today’s capitalist societies has been attributed to the diverse, and at times, complex features that have developed in the capitalist system. According to Marxist perspective, the development of social classes is based on the development of social consciousness among different classes, which have ensured that members of the different classes are of the belief that their ideologies are the best for the good of their respective nations. In conclusion, it can be said that the existence of social conflict is a reality in the world today and while it may have many causes some of which have been discussed above, it is a fact that their complexities are yet to be unravelled. However, most of the people with the power to make a difference (whom the Marxists would call the bourgeoisie) are either unwilling or unable to do so because they do not want to disturb the status quo. This class often justifies this by stating that acquisitiveness is a part of human nature and they use this excuse to exploit the poor people for their own benefit. The most likely scenario that may occur due to the increase in class struggles would also be an increase in violence and criminal activities in society as the bourgeoisie become wealthier while the lower classes become poorer. As a result, the likelihood of revolutions due to inequality, such as what happened during the French Revolution, would be greatly increased and such events would tear up the fabric of society, as we know it today. Works Cited Dugger, W.M. & Sherman, H.J. 1994, "Comparison of Marxism and institutionalism", Journal of Economic Issues, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 101. Fulcher, J., Scott, J. 2011. Sociology. London: Routledge. Giddens, A., Sutton, P.W. 2013. Sociology. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Hughes, J.A., Sharrock, W. W., Martin, P. J. 2003. Understanding Classical Sociology: Marx, Weber, Durkheim. California: Sage Publications. Levins, R. 2011, "Continuing Sources of Marxism Looking for the Movement as a Whole", Monthly Review, vol. 62, no. 8, pp. 34-42. Mills, C.W. 2003. The Sociological Perspective. London: Oxford University Press. Morrison, K. 2006. Marx, Durkheim, Weber: formations of modern social thought. California: Sage Publications. Read More