WOMEN UNIVERSITY IN AFRICA

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND GENDER DEVELOPMENT

STUDIES

PROGRAMME : MSc DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COURSE : PERSPECTIVES IN DEVELOPMENT

INTAKE : 5

NAME : NOBUKHOSI NCUBE

STUDENT ID : W120979

LECTURER : DR E.S MAKURA

ASSIGNMENT: Karl Marx theory shed light on the understanding of relations of people in the society. Discuss.

DUE DATE : 06 APRIL 2013.

Karl Max’s theory shed light on the understanding of relations of people in the society. Discuss

The epistemology of the Karl Marx theory is of the premise that the history of all existing societies is the history of class struggles. Scholars have had a long standing debate on the significance of Karl Marx’s theory of class conflict. The other party argues that the theory of class conflict helps in the understanding of relations of people in society. In contradiction, there are scholars who believe the theory does not help much in understanding societal relations. This essay seeks to establish how the Karl Marx Theory shed light on the understanding of relations of people in the society. In this context society is defined as a group of people in general living together in organized communities with laws and traditions controlling the way that they behave towards one another.

Society is divided into three classes namely aristocrats in the upper class, bourgeoisie in the middle and the down liners being the proletariat. These classes have different interests and normally clash as they pursue these various interests. The aristocrats are the intellectual bourgeoisie who are the land owners and rent it out for income generation. The bourgeoisie on the other hand focus mainly on the commercial aspects these are the factory owners while the proletariat or the peasants earn a living