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Marxism Overview

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Marxist sociology is the study of sociology from a Marxist perspective. Marxism itself can be recognized as both a political and a sociological philosophy. Marxist sociology is a conflict theory associated with the objective of developing a positive science of capitalist society as part of the mobilization of a revolutionary working class. Influenced by the thought of Karl Marx, Marxist sociology emerged during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. As well as Marx, Max Weber and Émile Durkheim are considered key influences in early Marxist sociology.

Marxist sociology generally explores the negative aspects of society such as poverty, homelessness and the class struggle, hence why it is called a ‘Conflict’. Fundamentally it categorises society into two groups; the many proletariats slaving away for the few Bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie own the means of production and therefore all the wealth in society and give a limited amount to the Proles in return for their labour in a process known as wage slavery. The means of production include but are not limited to:
- Materials
- Wealth or capital
- Land
- Technology
- Power to employ
- Access to skills and knowledge

With these things, the bourgeoisie completely own society and everything belongs to them and thus there will never be any equality under this system as even the Bourgeoisie are sub-divided. In the 19th century, Marx distinguished two types of bourgeois capitalist: the functional capitalist, the business administrator of the means of production; and the rentier capitalist whose livelihood derives either from the rent of property or from the interest-income produced by finance capital, or both. So, even within the upper echelons of society there is still severe injustice.
More importantly than owning the means of production however is the Bourgeoisie’s control over ideology. Marxist

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