Karl Marx and his Influence in Sociological Thinking
Karl Marx and he my Influenced in Sociological Thinking
Karl Marx is regarded as one of the greatest sociologists. He is credited with coming up with the theory that stated that there is always a cause and effect in all social actions. Although such actions could be hard to see in social sciences, they can easily be identified in physical sciences mainly because society is viewed subjectively. Marx was of the idea that if experimental research methods could be employed in explaining social phenomenon, non-empirical research methods could be used as well (Dr. Yvonne Vissing, 2011). Through his work, Marx argued that the only way that sociologists could study and understand society was through examining the meaning that people attach to their actions and undertakings. There is no action in this world that happens without a meaning and by studying the prevailing circumstances and the history of the individual, sociologists could tell the motivation behind every action
One theory developed by Karl Marx that best aligns with my personal views, is the conflict theory. I have chosen this theory because it not only because it aligns with my personal views on sociology but also because of its applicability in the modern world. According to this theory, people think and behave the same unless there is tension and conflict to motivate them to think differently. This theory assumes that competition and inequalities among people living in the same society are brought about by institutions and interactions between people (Otomar J. Bartos, et al, 2002). Its when the down trodden realize their rights and challenge the social institutions that perpetrate inequality does beneficial social change take place. Unlike past sociologists, Marx was not satisfied with studying why society behaves the way it does but argued that it was important to employ scientific knowledge to bring about social change. The society, according to Marx was divided into main groups namely the rich and the poor with the rich controlling all aspects of the economy. The poor on the other hand are left powerless and have no option other than doing everything that the rich order them to do (Otomar J. Bartos, et al, 2002). This theory is clearly seen today where rich people and nations control everything and manipulate the poor. Many poor people strive to meet even their most basic needs and this desperation makes them ready to do anything to make a living. Consequently, the rich take advantage of their desperation and offer them little wages while overworking them for long hours with no compensation. Nations also behave this way with the rich ones using their economic power to manipulate poor ones.
According to the conflict theory, many social problems resulted from the rich taking advantage of the poor so as to maintain their status quo. This division of people into social classes have made possible for the rich to influence social systems such that they reap from the labor of the poor so as to maintain their status in the society. To achieve their goals, the rich threaten the poor with sackings or intimidations to force the poor to continue serving them (Dr. Yvonne Vissing, 2011). Due to their power and place in the society, the rich manipulate policies and rules that touch on equality to ensure the interests of the common person are not addressed. A good example of this kind of exploitation is the recent case of exploitive practices committed by Apple in china. Workers in Apple manufacturing plants in China are paid poorly, overworked and work under very poor conditions. Despite being one of the most profitable companies in the world, Apple has continued to exploit these poor Chinese workers by paying poorly. These poor workers get very little for their services but it’s the shareholders of Apple that reap all the benefits.
According to the conflict theory, the rich also manipulate the way in which the poor see themselves to so as to ensure that they continue working for them. This manipulation is known as false consciousness and it’s the process through which the poor are conditioned to view the upper class. Due to their position and power, it’s possible for the rich to control how the poor think and reason and as long as this happens, the rich will always retain their status quo. A good example is this was slavery in America (Dr. Yvonne Vissing, 2011). Although all slaves were mistreated and exploited by their masters, slaves in the South had been made to believe that it was okay to be slaves and this explain why they did not revolt like their counterparts in the north. Just like we are witnessing today in the Arab revolutions, Marx predicted that a time would come when the downtrodden would overthrow their masters in their quest equality (Otomar J. Bartos, et al, 2002). However, the elite will not take this sitting down but will use all possible means to maintain their positions in the society. An example of this fight can be best demonstrated by leaders in third world countries. In these countries, people in power only enrich themselves at the expense of their citizens. While at the top, they make the people believe that they were born to be powerful and that nobody else can rule that country other than them. When the people get fed up by such leaders, they arm themselves and overthrow them by force.
References
Yvonne Vissing (2011). Sociology. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Otomar J. Bartos, et al (2002). Using Conflict Theory. Cambridge University Press.
