Is Karl Marx theory of class conflict relevant for understanding contemporary Chinese society?
Since China started the economic reform in 1978, Chinese economic influences and power are stronger than before. But in the meanwhile PRC/CPC governors also felt the great anxiety about rapid change of society structures. The major reason was after the reform, China is not simply made by labor and farmer classes, but more and more people getting wealthy and joined bourgeoisie class. That challenges the spirit and root of communism party.
The top crisis that CPC leaders facing was old (before the reform) system to control the society disintegrated. That leads to the political environment unrest and society unstable (Tiananmen and Falun gong as examples). This essay will focus on Marxism (conflict theory), modern Chinese history and the relevance.
Conflict Theory In February 1848 Marx and Engels published Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei. According this manifesto, Marx claimed that the history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle. (Marx 1848,cf. Macionis & Plummer, 2012 P.41) But what is “class”? According to W. Little and R.McGivern in Introduction to Sociology (2012) the definition of “class” is “Social stratification is a process by which a society is divided into different layers, or strata, …show more content…
There are four major principles of social stratification. 1.Social stratification is not just simply a reflection of individual differences. 2.Social stratification is universal, means it’s everywhere, but variable, it takes different forms in different culture, society and country. 3.Social stratification persists over generation. 4.Social Stratification involves not just inequality but belief as well. Inequality is rooted in a society’s philosophy. There are two theories we can look at as perspectives, one is Structural functionalism theory and another one is Social Conflict
Since China started the economic reform in 1978, Chinese economic influences and power are stronger than before. But in the meanwhile PRC/CPC governors also felt the great anxiety about rapid change of society structures. The major reason was after the reform, China is not simply made by labor and farmer classes, but more and more people getting wealthy and joined bourgeoisie class. That challenges the spirit and root of communism party.
The top crisis that CPC leaders facing was old (before the reform) system to control the society disintegrated. That leads to the political environment unrest and society unstable (Tiananmen and Falun gong as examples). This essay will focus on Marxism (conflict theory), modern Chinese history and the relevance.
Conflict Theory In February 1848 Marx and Engels published Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei. According this manifesto, Marx claimed that the history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle. (Marx 1848,cf. Macionis & Plummer, 2012 P.41) But what is “class”? According to W. Little and R.McGivern in Introduction to Sociology (2012) the definition of “class” is “Social stratification is a process by which a society is divided into different layers, or strata, …show more content…
There are four major principles of social stratification. 1.Social stratification is not just simply a reflection of individual differences. 2.Social stratification is universal, means it’s everywhere, but variable, it takes different forms in different culture, society and country. 3.Social stratification persists over generation. 4.Social Stratification involves not just inequality but belief as well. Inequality is rooted in a society’s philosophy. There are two theories we can look at as perspectives, one is Structural functionalism theory and another one is Social Conflict