21205666 the Neo Marxist Synthesis of Marx and Weber on Class
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Transcript of 21205666 the Neo Marxist Synthesis of Marx and Weber on Class
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The Neo-Marxist Synthesis of Marx
and Weber on Class
Pat Ray M Dagapioso
Christine Jane Eleria
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What is this about?
This report is about the reassessment of the
relationship of the contemporary Marxist and
Weberian Theory.
Both theories consider concepts internal to
each other, and were once considered as
points of criticism toward each other, had
been reconsidered and reinterpreted to help
expalin each other theories.
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Neo-Marxist Theory of Class
Primarily this lecture is about the conception
of Neo-Marxism as stipulated by
contemporary Marxists such as Burris himself.
Neo-Marxist infuse Weberian concepts into
understanding contemporary Marxism in the
late 20th century.
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4 Important Distinctions Between the Classical
Marxist and Weberian Theories of Class
Marx Weber
1. Class- Objective
Structure of SocialPositions
1. Class- constructed in
the form of theory ofsocial action
2. Unidimensional 2. Multidimensional
3. Exploitation 3. Domination
4. Expression of
production
4. Market Relations
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I. Structure v. Action
Marx and Weber put different importance on human
agency in explaining social phenomena.
Marx- places much greater causal weight on
functioning of objective structures that constrain
human behavior (i.e. mode of production)
Weber on the other hand places great importance on
human agency (capacity for human beings to make
choices and to impose those choices on the world).
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Structure v. Action: Focus on Marx
One of the structures that determine socialphenomena is the mode of production.
Mode of Production combination of productive
forces (labor, tools, land) and social and technicalrelations of production (property, power, controlrelations (law), association, and relations betweensocial classes.
Marxists view class position as something that entailmaterial interests, capacities and constraints thatexist objectively and independently of the particularpersons.
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Structure v. Action: Focus on Weber
Classes are not the effect of an objectivestructure, but are outcomes of themotivations and behaviour of knowledgeable
human actors. Further, classes are identified with a particular
form of social action. Social action- action that
seeks to restrict access to valued resources w/an orientation to maximixing their return tothe market.
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Structure v. Action: The Difference
Marxist argue that social action exaggerates the
impression of the indeterminancy of social action.
Weberians, on the other hand, argue promises
more than it can possibly deliver.
Weberians also argues that Marxists gives
insufficient attention to the role of conscious
agency and volition in shaping social events.
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Structure v. Action: The Difference
Arguments against Marxism: 1. the logic of mode ofproduction is teleological (believe in ultimate purpose) and2. that humans are downgraded as passive bearers of
social relations. Marxists response: 1. Marxists also debates this
functionalism, that somehow functionalists arguments areincomplete, 2. Marxists employs in theories also theintentionality of human actors, though in restrictive role, 3.human agency is also incorporated in contemporaryMarxist theories (i.e. class analysis) and 4. equal emphasison objective structures and human agency
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Human Agency as Applied by Marxists
1. Thomson and Przeworski (Marxists) sees that the
important aspects of class relations are seen as
structurally undetermined in the sense that objective
structures merely impose a general directionalityupon social development, whereas the pace and
concrete form of that development and selection
among possible outcomes is determined by human
agency. E.G. Burris (1980) variation of size and composition
of intermediate classes among capitalist societies.
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Human Agency as Applied by Marxists
2. Class relations are structurally overdetermined
that is subject to multiple and contradictory
determinations, and therefore to some extent,
indeterminate. E.G. Wright (1978) the conception of intermediate
class positions as contradictory class locations/ the
positions of managers and professionals in capiatlist
class relations
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Human Agency as Applied by Marxists
3. Structural determination of class is mediatedby human agency in ways that are more thatepiphenomenal.
E.G. Ehrenreichs (1979) the formation ofPMC/ professional-managerial class.
They outlined several structural tendencies
that condition the formation of such class andalso stressed that institutional changes that isassociated by the emergence of this class doesnot come out without the conscious efforts of
human agents.
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Human Agency as Applied by Marxists
4. Human agency almost always assumes animportant role in contemporary Marxist accounts ofthe process by which structurally defined classes are
formed/ or fail to be formed into organizedcollectivities.
E.G. Wright the relationship of class structure andclass formation. Class structure itself does notgenerate a unique pattern of class formation, ratherit determines the underlying probabilites of differenttypes of class formations.
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I. Structure v. Action
Summary:
1. Weberian arguments for the importance ofhuman agency served as a useful corrective tothe more one-sided structuralists version ofMarxism.
2. Weberians on the other hand refuses to
accept the importance of structures indetermining social phenomena (see Parkin).
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II. Unidimensional v. Multidimensional
Views
Marxists and Weberians differ in theirconception of the importance of class ascompared with other forms of oppression or
other bases of association and struggle. Class for Marx class is the single most
important division around which social groups
organize and contend for political power. Class struggle therefore is the primary vehicle
of epochal social change.
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II. Unidimensional v. Multidimensional
Views
Weber the importance of class divisions is
historically variable and contingent.
For Weber class relations coexist with otherforms of oppression and other bases of
association that are independent of class.
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Weberian critics of Marxists
Primary point of criticism by Weberianstoward Marxists is the primacy of class.
1. Parkin racial, ethnic and religious conflictshad overshadowed the primacy of class
2. Giddens Marxists are unable toaccommodate nonclass forms of domination
(e.g. nationa, ethnic, and sexual oppression)
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Marxists Reply
1. Most Marxists would defend some notions of the
primacy of class relations.
2. Contemporary Marxists are now applying more
multidimensional viewpoints.
3. Marxists have accorded a considerable degree of
autonomy to nonclass forms of oppression.
4. Disagreements continue on the conceptualization of thedifferent forms of oppression, their degree of autonomy,
and the manner they are related to class relations.
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Marxists Feminists
Marxists feminists sees the oppression of women as aninteraction of capitalist class relations and ptriarchalgender relations.
Mitchell (1974) the distinctiveness of womensoppression is located in the formation of sexual identitiesis relatively autonomous of the production relations thatdefine social classes.
McDonough and Harrison (1978) women are placed in
two separate but linked structures of class and patriarchy. The relationship of class and patriarchy is defined as such
that the form of each is limited by the influence of theother structure.
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Marxists on Race and Ethnicity
1. Edwards (1979) racial divisions and sexual
divisions reflect historical processes that are distinct
from those of capitalism as a mode of production.
2. Wright (1978) class relations play a decisive rolein shaping other forms of inequality; but, it should be
through empirical and theoretical studies that the
relationship between class relations and racism be
founded.
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Focus on Race
Marxists focus on race is on the distinctiveness ofracial divisions from class divisions not from itsautonomy from the latter.
Geschwender (1978) the situation of racialminorities must be treated as an interaction betweenrace and national oppression, neither of which can besubsumed under the other.
Further Geschwender stressed that elements ofcolonial model and capitalist exploitation model mustbe extracted to develop a more comprehensivemodel to further explain the racial situation inAmerica.
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Weakness of These Theories
1. The weakness lies not in the notion that
Marxist are not capable of addressing other
forms of oppression (see Giddens).
2. The weakness lies in the job of the Marxists
to explain why class should be accorded any
degree of primacy over other bases of
political struggle.
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Non-Reductionist Arguments
1. Marxist class categories can be shown to
have stronger effects on life chances
(opportunities each individual has to improve
his/her life), cultural patterns or political
consciousness than alternative bases of
stratification. Weakness? A weak defense of
class primacy thesis.
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Non-Reductionist Arguments
2. There is the evolutionary claim that only
class relations have an internal logic that
generates systematic tendencies toward
cumulative and progressive social change.
Weakness? This thesis requires the
development of productive forces at the
center of the historical process of whichproduces support for technoligical
determinism and Soviet Marxism.
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Non-Reductionist Arguments
3. However autonomous and consequential
nonclass forms of domination may be, the
material means of production remains the
basic source of power in the society.
Weakness? Weberians rightfully argues that
material resources are necessarily more
important bases of power than political orideological resources.
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End
Thank You!!!
Ajde!