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Conflict Structuralism - Coggle Diagram
Conflict Structuralism
Conflict Structuralists
-
Different Parts
of Society
Clash
Look at society as a
system of parts
They believe that there's a
conflict of interest
between different
groups
in society
Neo-Marxism
- Focuses on
Ideology
In the Western world,
Marx's
revolution hasn't happened
Therefore, in the 20th century,
Neo-Marxists
developed new models of
Marx's
theories to make them relevant to the modern world
2
Important Models
Humanistic
Marxism
Gramsci
(1971) focused on
hegemony
(the
domination
of RC ideology in society)
Social control doesn't just come from
economics
, it also comes from
ideas
Because the RC controls the means of
producing ideas
(e.g. the press and education), their ideas become
dominant
, and the WC
consent
to them
Argued that in the modern world,
consent
is a crucial way of
maintaining power
- more so than
coercion
(e.g. using the police, army etc)
People could
never
rise up because of
economic position
alone
Would have to rise up
intellectually
, by working out a '
proletarian hegemony
' with a completely new
idea
of how to organise society
Structuralist
Marxism
Althusser
(1970) argued people
can't
come up with
new ideas
about society - this is a
lie
created by society's
ideological state apparatuses
(ISAs)
These ISAs are closely controlled by the
state
E.g. the press, religion and the education system
Marx
believed that
economics
determined
everything
,
Althusser
said there are also
2 other
important structures - political and ideological
Each of these are
partly independent
from the other 2, he believed that capitalism would be
overthrown
when the 3
contradicted
one another
Marxism
-
Capitalist
Society has Created
2 Classes
with
Different Needs
Marx
(1867) said there are
2 conflicting classes
in
capitalist society
.
The
ruling
class (the 'bourgeoisie') owns and controls the means of production
E.g. factories and machinery
The means of production make up the economic
base
of society, this
determines
the
superstructure
Called
economic determinism
Superstructure
= The
institutions
in society e.g. religion, the education system
The
working
class (the 'proletariat') works for them
The job of the superstructure is to
legitimise
the position of the RC
Institutions are set up to
stop
the WC from gaining
power
, and to make it seem
okay
for the RC to own and control everything
Marx
claimed that these messages lull the proletariat into a
false consciousness
, which means they aren't fully aware of the
oppression
they suffer and how to
break free
from it.
Argued
revolution
was the only way for the proletariat to recognise how they've been oppressed, and that a socialist/communist society would then emerge
Marxism
- Criticised for its
Structural Focus
and
Determinism
Deterministic
- assumes oppression is
inevitable
for the WC, until a revolution happens
Traditional
Marxism sees everyday life purely in terms of '
class conflict
'
Ethnicity
and
gender
are largely
sidelined
The fall of Communism in Eastern Europe has been used as
evidence
for
flaws
in Marxist theory
However, many argue that Eastern Europe didn't have
true Communism
anyway
The
increased affluence
and
consensual nature
of many Western societies highlights the
lack of conflict
Weber
said there could be
conflict
between
all kinds of social groups
Rejected Marx's idea
that
owners vs workers
was the
only important division
Said that people were also divided by
class, status
and
political
grouping
Feminism
- Aims to Explain the Causes if
Gender Inequalities
Believe society is
patriarchal
- institutions are run by, and in the
interests
of
men
Aims to
unmask
patriarchy and
empower
people to campaign against it
Believe
traditional sociology
, its theories and methods are often patriarchal and male-orientated
Often interested in studying issues that have been
ignored
in traditional sociology
E.g.
DV
, power relationships within the
family
and gender inequalities in
education
Liberal Feminists
- Want Equal Rights for Women
Believe that the
main cause
of inequality is a lack of legitimate
options
for women in
education, employment
and
politics
Think the best way to bring about greater gender equality is to work within
existing power structures
to create
equal opportunities
E.g. The introduction of laws that prevent sex discrimination (
Equal Pay Act 1970
)
Criticised by
radical feminists
for failing to recognise that
patriarchal values
are rooted in other areas of social life such as
family
, as well as in formal institutions
Radical Feminists
- Want to Change Society Itself
Argue that the very
structure
of
society
is based on the
oppression of women
Revolutionary change
is needed to bring about
new 'gender roles'
and
real equality
Millett
(1970) argued
patriarchy
was the
first
and is the
most fundamental
form of
inequality
Regardless of class, all women
are expected to be
subservient
to
all men
While it may be
difficult
to
change
your
class
, historically, it has been all but
impossible
to
change
your
sex
There's a form of
politics
in all
relationships
featuring an
imbalance of power
e.g.
at work
and
in the home
Sexual politics for her was the
woking
of that
power
to keep
women
in
subordinate roles
in:
The family
- women are brought up to
expect
and
assume subordinate roles
Education
- women
aren't expected
to
study subjects
which
lead
to
high powered
or
highly payed jobs
Religion
- which uses its
authority
to
strengthen patriarchy
Believed that women largely
internalise patriarchy
and come to
see themselves
as
inferior
- but that the
final guarantee
of
male dominance
is
force
and the
threat of violence
Marxist Feminists
- Believe Capitalism is Partly to Blame
Capitalism benefits
from the
exploitation
of women
Within families, women look after homes and raise children
for free
- at no cost to the
state
Ansley
(1972) claims women also bear the brunt of their husbands' work
frustrations
, which would otherwise be directed at their
capitalist employers