Proletariat

Many thinkers in the 1800s had some similar views on how society should be, but also differences about it too. Two major social theorists that have commonalities and differences are Henri de Saint-Simon and Karl Marx. Saint Simon was a French theorist who believed in a merit based society with science progressing society forward. Karl Marx was a German theorist who believed that industrialism was destroying society and communism was the best idea for the individuals and societies. Although their…

What is social stratification? In simple terms social stratification “refers to a ranking of people or groups within a society.” (Kerbo 2006) But social stratification is not a simple subject it is a more complex idea then some may assume. Many individuals may assume that one is simply born into their social class. Although one is born into a social class, their birth doesn’t entirely determine the social class. When determining the social stratification of an individual there are…

descending order, the band director, guard director, flag captain, rifle captain, lieutenants, veteran members, and freshman members. In this scenario, the lieutenants and up equate to the bourgeoisie, while the veteran and freshman members are the proletariat. One can clearly see that the decisions being made for the program are solely to benefit the flag captain. Even the seemingly trivial decisions like which costume to wear come in full circle, and in some way benefit the leadership. When a…

Besides providing immense entertainment for both kids and adults alike, certain children’s movies, such as Disney Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, explore deep sociological concepts and structures found in our society. The movie successfully and simultaneously shows both structural functionalism and conflict theory - despite their stark differences - in the interactions between the ants and grasshoppers. Throughout the film, there are also instances that show the theories of false consciousness, collective…

Throughout history, conflicts arise over various issues. Some of which include power and status. Whether it be people abusing, manipulating, or gaining power there are always darker alternative motives. In this case, a prime example of power being used unjustly can be found in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Where society is based on the oppressor, the Combine consistently keeps the people restrained, resulting in conflict among the two. Chief Bromden’s schizophrenic episodes…

I thought I’d attempt to briefly summarize what we’ve read and discussed, so far. Marx’s Project and Context Marx was essentially trying to uncover the reason why society was the way it was. The 19th century was a time of tremendous political and social change. New technologies and forms of organization (the factory system) had significantly increased the productivity of manufacturing in all across Europe. Alongside this was the enclosure of common lands, which pushed peasants and craftspeople…

In the following documents, The Declarations of the rights of man and citizens, The Haitian Declaration of Independence, and the Peoples Charter, all share similar context. Working-class consists of men and women who are employed for wages. In the texts of 'Declaration of the Rights of Man & the Citizen', it states/argues that all individuals must be equally treated, by law. Through the article of Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, it reads 17 different points about being equal…

Why is society the way it is today? Most will say, “Because of history.” Yes that is correct, but why? Society is the way it is today because of influential beliefs, and philosophers who portrayed and evolved these beliefs. Of these philosophers, the ones being studied are Niccolo Machiavelli, John Locke, and Karl Marx. While Machiavelli believed that the kings and monarchs should have all control over the people, Locke and Marx believed in the opposite. Locke and Marx believed in human reason,…

he used to analyze what happened in modern society. You had the bourgeoisie, which consisted of the “handicrafts people and shopkeepers” (cite book) who owned their own tools and shops as well as staffed them. The working class was known as the proletariat and the poorest individuals, made up of degenerates and people living from “hand to mouth” made up the lumpenproletariat. Marx proposed that all these individuals were in constant competition of one another. According to the conflict theory,…

Both Marx and Durkheim perceived flaws in the Capitalistic system, although, where Marx sought revolution, Durkheim proposed reform According to Durkheim, the division of labor, carrying an increasing specialization among the workforce, represented a stage in the evolution of humankind that was social as well as economic in nature According to Marx, the conflict model of society was evolutionary. Society was comprised of a moving balance of antithetical forces that generate social change by…