Monets
Oxana
Institute of Sociology, Psychology and Social
Communications (Ukraine, Kyiv)
Pet’ko Lyudmila
Ph.D. in Pedagogy,
Dragomanov
National Pedagogical University (Ukraine,
Kyiv)
Karl
Marx and Marxist Sociology
Sociological
theories are those modern theories
that are based on empirical evident aiming to evaluate social issues within our
society for benefit of the present and future time, and it developed by various
scholar in the 1800s and 1900s. Examples of scholars who developed these
sociological theories are Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Georg
Simmel [1; 9].
Therefore, the
following are the definition of sociological theories. Sociological theory is defined as a set of interrelated ideas that allows for
systematization of knowledge of the social world. This knowledge is used to
explain the social world and make prediction about the future of the social
world.
Sociological theory
is complex theoretical and methodological frameworks used to analyze and
explain object of social study. Examples of sociological theories are conflict
theory, critical theory, feminist theory, functionalism theory, and rational
choice theory [3].
Therefore, sociological theory can be defined as a
complex theoretical framework that is used to explain social theories through
empirical formula (scientific method) and making judgments. [2].
Karl Marx (5 May
1818, Trier – 14 March 1883, London) and his lifelong collaborator Friedrich
Engels (1820–1895) developed a body of thought that would inspire major social
movements, initiate revolutionary social change across the globe, and provide
the foundation for many socialist or communist governments [8; 5].
Marx's theories
about society, economics and politics – collectively known as Marxism – hold
that human societies progress through class struggle: a conflict between an
ownership class that controls production and a dispossessed labouring class
that provides the labour for production [6; 4].
More recently, Marxism’s
political influence has waned, with most of the formerly communist regimes
undergoing significant change. It is important, however, to separate out
Marxism as a system of ideas in the social sciences from Marxism as a political
ideology and the foundation for revolutionary social movements and as a
governing philosophy [8].
Key concepts of
Marxist sociology include: historical materialism, mode of production, the
relation between capital and labour. Marxist sociology is significantly
concerned, but not limited to, the relations between society and economics. Key
questions asked by Marxist sociology include: 1) how does the
capital control the workers? 2) How does the mode of production influence the
social class? 3) What is the relation between workers, capital, the state and
our culture? 4) How do economic factors influence inequalities, including those
related to gender and race?
Within the field
of sociological theory, Marxist sociology, recognized as one of the major
sociological paradigms, is associated with conflict and critical theories [7].
Karl Marx developed social issues such as “conflict theory and social change”.
Conflict theory
was the theory introduced by Karl Marx in the book “Communist Manifesto”, 1848
[10]. Conflict theory argues that society is not best understood as a complex
system striving for equilibrium but rather as a competition. Society is made up
of individuals competing for limited resources [3].
According
to Karl Marx (1818–1883), in any societies there are two major social groups: a ruling class and a subject class. The ruling class derives its power from
its ownership and control of the forces of production. The ruling class exploits and oppresses the subject class (lower
class). As a result there is a basic conflict of interest between these two
classes.
All in all,
conflict theory rose when exploitation of capitalist and existing government
being increase to lower class or workers, and the exploitative in order to
reduce and removal those kinds off injustice, they require forming movements
and overthrowing existing government.
Karl Marx
believed that, economic and political analysis of capitalism is the main causes
of conflict theory. This is due to forced labour, long working hours, low
wages and poor working condition
which under capitalism system.
Social change
it is essential feature of capitalism which existing all over the world. Under
this system, the means of production and distributing goods such as land,
factory technology, and transport system are owned by a small minority of
people, we refer this group of people as the capitalist class.
Functionalist social theory tends to regard these economic activities as mundane necessity to
support cultural that depend upon it. Karl Mark believes that all society which
was under communist one the production of goods was structured on the way that
to produce great benefit for minority. Through this theory we can use it to
understand how capitalism leads to social change up to this present and how
people are exploited under capitalism [2].
Marxist ideas
have influenced many fields of thought and indeed have played a particularly
important role in the development of the discipline of sociology. Classical
sociological theorists such as Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) and Max Weber
(1864–1920), for example, developed their theories of society in conversation
with the works of Karl Marx. However, as it evolved in the United States and
Western Europe in the middle parts of the 20th century, sociology’s dialogue
with Marxian propositions declined. For example, the widely influential
norm-oriented functionalist sociology of Talcott Parsons (1902–1979) had little
engagement with Marxist thought. In the aftermath of the large-scale social
struggles of the 1960s and 1970s, however, sociologists around the world
increasingly embraced a historically oriented approach to knowledge and in many
cases found in the classics of Marxism a source of inspiration. Debates and
controversies over Marxism continue to shape the development of sociology up to
the present time, although “neo-Marxism” is less influential today than it was
twenty-five years ago. Nonetheless, serious students of sociology have to have
some familiarity with some of the classical ideas and theorists of Marxism, and
Marxist theories continue to influence some parts of the discipline today [8].
Bibliography