Conflict View of Marxism (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

Key thinker: Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Contribution to the development of sociology

• Marx's ideas inspired the theoretical perspective Marxism or the Marxist approach, which has led to an abundance of research on social class

• Marx wrote during the early stages of capitalism, as he wanted to understand the changes taking place in society at the time

• He was born in Germany but moved to England in 1849 and focused on capitalism in Britain

• Many of Marx's ideas have been adapted to fit modern society

The key ideas of Karl Marx

• Marx argued that to understand the evolution of societies, one must look at how individuals create the items needed for survival

• The way people create the resources required to survive is referred to as the mode of production, of which there are two aspects:

  • The means of production are the raw materials or machinery that people use in production, such as big businesses, factories and land

  • The social relations of production are the relationships between people as they engage in production. Under capitalism, there are two social classes:

    • the bourgeoisie

    • the proletariat

Social classes under capitalism

• The bourgeoisie is the minority ruling class that owns the means of production and private property

• The proletariat is the majority working class who own nothing but their ability to work as wage labourers

• Other classes under capitalism include:

  • The petty bourgeoisie who own small businesses

  • The lumpenproletariat, who are the criminals, vagrants, and the unemployed, sometimes sell their services to the bourgeoisie

• Exploitation is the foundation of the relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat because the former maximise their profits while paying the latter low wages

• While the bourgeoisie is interested in turning a profit, the proletariat is interested in putting an end to their exploitation, and so class conflict results

Social change

• Marx argued that the class struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie was the key to social change

• Proletariat members would eventually perceive themselves as a social class with shared interests and act to overthrow the capitalist class

• A social revolution and a shift to communism would result from this, where the means of production would be owned collectively under communism

• As a result, a classless society would exist, free from exploitation and private ownership

Criticisms of Marx

• Although Marx believed that economic division was the foundation of social class, critics like Weber argue that status differences between groups also play a role

• Marx ignored the divisions in society based on gender and ethnicity

• According to critics, Marx's theories are out of date because capitalist societies like Britain have not undergone a revolution