Sociology I · 10 marks · 150 words

Explain Karl Marx's conception of transition from 'class-in- itself' to 'class-for-itself'.

Answered by 4 toppers · CSE 2021–2023

Syllabus: Sociological Thinkers: (a) Karl Marx- Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle. (b) Emile Durkheim- Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society. (c) Max Weber- Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. (d) Talcolt Parsons- Social system, pattern variables. (e) Robert K. Merton- Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups. (f) Mead - Self and identity.

How toppers approached it

From all 4 answers · about 170 words · 50% drew a diagram.

Opening

  • No separate opening2 of 4
  • A definition1 of 4
  • A restatement1 of 4

Body

  • Points and prose3 of 4
  • Points1 of 4

Close

  • No separate close2 of 4
  • A summary2 of 4

The toppers’ answers

Yaksh ChaudharyAIR 6 · CSE 2021 · 154 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a definition

Karl marx defined class in terms of control over means of production.

Body · points and prose

Diagram
+----------------+ +------------------+ +------------------+ | Subjective | | 2 criteria | | Objective | | criteria |------>| for class |------>| Criteria | +----------------+ +------------------+ +------------------+ | | v v Ability for Similar Control over class struggle Factors of production

According to marx, under capitalist system, Capitalists are the dominating class who exploits the working class.

when these working class are not aware about mechanism of their exploitation and the exploiter, But they share the common and same Control over FoP. This is called class in itself.

The capitalist class don't use naked for exploitation but use Coercion in an hidden manner using economic instruments and by infusing false ideology in super structure.

With globalisation and intensed exploitation of workers under "general law of capitalist accumulation", workers get awareness about their common enemy. This leads to homogenisation of workers and gives birth to class for itself. This "Class for itself" revolt against Capitalist system and socialism and Communism will usher finally.

Diagram
+----------------+ +------------------+ | Class in | Homogenisation, | Class for | | itself |---------------------------------->| itself | +----------------+ awareness, +------------------+ globalisation, intense exploitation

Close · a summary

Hence, Marx advocated that with subjective understanding of exploitation, the worker's group converts from class in itself to class for itself.

More on Karl Marx

Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation and class struggle.

All Sociology I questions on Karl Marx