Sociology I · 10 marks · 150 words

Many social theorists have built on Marx's conflict theory to bolster it, grow it, and refine it over the years. Comment.

Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2022–2024

Karl MarxPower and ElitesTheories and Agents of Social ChangeTheories of Stratification

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 3 answers · about 170 words.

Opening

  • A definition2 of 3
  • No separate opening1 of 3

Body

  • Points3 of 3

Close

  • A summary3 of 3

The toppers’ answers

Aayushi BansalAIR 7 · CSE 2024 · 167 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Marx was the pioneer of conflict perspective. It focusses on divisions in society & its institutions.

Social theorists have applied this perspective in various structures:

Body · points

  1. Power → Gramsci gave the concept of political & civil society in the state. It built on divisions by giving concept of hegemony of ruling class. It refined by giving a solution in counter-hegemony.

  2. Family & kinship → Marxists feminists showed conflict in micro perspective. Margaret Benston tells how capitalism gets unpaid labour of women & reduces bargaining power of family.

• Dependency theory - Andre Gunder Frank, Immanuel Wallerstein extended conflict to a global level. Core (developed) countries exploited raw materials & labour of periphery (developing).

• Capital → Bourdieu developed 4 capitals of social, economic, symbolic, cultural to show elite reproduction.

• In India, Prof AR Desai used this perspective to explain nationalism, failure of welfare states & peasant movements.

Close · a summary

Though conflict perspective came under criticism for ignoring order & integration, it provided a wider perspective in Sociology.

More on Karl Marx

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

All Sociology I questions on Karl Marx