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Karl MarxThe Bourgeoisie/ The ProletariatLabour TheoryAlienationMoney and Power: An Introduction to CapitalismConflictConflict occurs due to a differences in opinion, or social inequalities

Conflict can also occur between what people feel they deserve and what they receive: distribution of wealth and power in society

The Bourgeoisie & The ProletariatKarl Marx, a sociologist, economist, revolutionary socialist in the 1800s examined inequalities between two types of people:

The Bourgeoisie (the people who owned property, the means of production); and

The Proletariat (the working class, the people who owned their labour power)

The Bourgeoisie accumulated power by controlling and owning the means of production= own large-scale operations and corporations that produce the goods people in society consume

The Proletariat are the working class; they work for the ruling class and consume products of big companies

Marx= the bourgeoisie exploited the working class and oppressed them through this ideology we like to call :CAPITALISM

Economic, Political and Social Hierarchy current day societyThe Norm and the push for changeWhile it is in the best interest for the Bourgeoisie to stay in a position of power and exercise their acquisition of power by keeping the working class down in modern day society there is more questioning of this economic structure.

People have been divided and conquered by this economic system, however, there are some that will revolt, rebel and demand answers --

Capitalism: An IdeologyMarx saw capitalism as destructive= wanted to get rid of it

Many Westerners see Capitalism in a positive light

Superstructure of society: law, morality and education

The key to understanding a society at any point in history: mode of production (ex. feudal times= land- lords owned and controlled it; capitalist= capital, machinery, mines, factories- owned and controlled by capitalists

In capitalist societies, capitalists own and control the productive resources; workers only own their labour and work for capitalists, who then own the product and sell it for profit.

Marxism and AlienationWhat is alienation?Marx refers to alientation in economic terms---the aspect in which workers are disconnected from what they produce and why they produce= systemic result of capitalism

Workers lose control over their lives by losing control over their work= workers cease to be autonomous (no longer free, they are controlled)

Pre-capitalist societies example: A shoemaker would own his shop, set his own hours, determine his working conditions, shape and sell his own product= he was connected to his work.

Todays capitalist societies: average worker is replaceable; expendable and impersonalWorkers have lost control over the process of production, the products they produce, the relationships they have with each other= they have become estranged

Karl Marxs IdeasHumans cannot be humans under alienated conditionsCapitalism must be abolished if a societys emancipation is to be completeReal liberty does not exist until a worker controls his/her workplace and the products they produceProfit should be dispersed equally amongst those who have contributed to the labour of the productBut will this work? Is there a model that satisfies all parties?

Capitalism: A Love Storyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNl_G0m_ABU