Arunprakash M: Sociology I answer copy

Protestant Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism → Critique of Marxism

Weber observed that majority of industridists & highly paid workers are Protestants and tried to establish link between Capitalism & Protestantism taking Calvinism.

Features common between Capitalism & Calvinism are:

1. Doctrine of predestination Weber says that Calvinists believe only few are choren by God & to be chosen, it requires material success in this world.

Marxists criticize that for Calvinists to be chosen, they just invest capital, but labour is by the Proletariats.

1. Asceticism: Following God's will, through strict discipline & frugality, which leads to growth of capitalism. Marxists criticize that Capitalists' frugality affects proletariats as they are not given proper wages or have poor working conditions.

2. To gain more profits, conserve wealth & donate to God. Marxists criticize that this legitimizes the profit maximisation motive of the capitalists.

3. Holy days, not Holidays Without rest, work actively on a daily basis. Criticism: Capitalists are just investors & supervisors, but Proletariats are the actual ones working.

4. Weber says that religion leads to rationality, as God establishes systemic procedures. Marx calls religion as opium of masses, hindering proletarist revolution.

5. Marxists also criticize Weber's neglect of conflicts, over emphasizing functionalism of Capitalism. Marxists in contrast says that proletarial revolution (class struggle) leads to social change.

Marx propounds in his economic as political theories, class conflict is indispensable for change in socio economic aspects of society.

Social conflict & Social change

1. Class: Marx sees 'class' as a unit of society, comprising people who have similar relation with forces of production.

1. Class antagonism He says that the Bourgeoisie & proletariats have different interests, yet try to cooperate, due to lack of class consciousness.

2. Class Polarisation → Polarisation of classes is essential for 'perception of common enemy', for social change.

Eg: Bourgeoisisation, Proletarianisation (Embourgeoisement)

1. Class consciousness Shift from class in itself ↓ (lack of class consciousness) to class for itself ↓ (Unionisation)

→ Due to i) Polarisation ii) Homogenisation iii) Pauperisation

1. Class conflict Results in class struggle between opposing classes. In earlier societies, 'Landlords' were replaced by 'Capitalists', but the 'serfs' remain as Proletariats, so Marx sees a partial social change only.

2. Capitalism & Social change Alienation is at peak & there is no other alternative.

Social conflict results due to (i) True consciousness (ii) Rise of leadership (iii) Ideology & Unionisation. Results in shift of Proletariats from being exploited to Revolution.

Social conflict results in

1. Dictatorship of Proletariat, to be replaced by Advanced Communism
2. Communal ownership of property; no private property.
3. Removal of different classes.
4. No state as centralized instrument.
5. Dialectic process ceases and individuals pursue internal urges.

Marx says that "History of hitherto existing society is history of class struggle and conflicts".

'Work from Home' is the new work model, due to pandemic imposed quarantine.

Work from Home → Formal organisation of work

1. Digitalisation of work: Works have now shifted from manual sphere to the digital sphere. Eg: Online Education
2. Raise of women in workforce: Work from home is comfortable for women to maintain their work stability; but stresses them through dual burden.
3. Increased work burden: Results in alienation as workers are asked to work beyond stipulated hours. Eg: Australia has imposed restrictions on such practices
4. Better balance to domestic & professional responsibilities: → Increased sharing of work by men.
5. Formal labour has also become informal, due to flexibility & contractudisation & instant layoffs due to lower productivity.
6. Reduction in socialisation among workers, reduce social networks.

In Informal organisation

1. Job has become more insecure, with instant fire culture.
2. Women are being largely pushed into informal works. Eg: Raising women share in gig works → Exploitatory nature.
3. Work from Home has resulted in increased service based informalisation. Eg: Food delivery, Commercial products
4. Growth of digitalisation & digital literacy among informal workers.
5. Higher exploitation of informal workers, as influx of more demands for work, but lesser job opportunities, result in pauperisation.
6. Growth of urban migration especially by youths for freelance jobs. 'Work from Home' has thus resulted in better mobility to formal sectors, but increased workload to informal organisations.

Gendered division of labour refers to the split of work, where particular type of work are done by women & the rest by men.

Causes of Gendered division of labour

1. Patricia Uberoi talks about the role of Patriarchy as social institution, where men dominate & assign roles to women.
2. Lack of Educational choices: Women are forced into specific fields like Nursing, hospitality; while existence of Societal control over other jobs like military.
3. Curbs Migration: Violence against women in urban areas curbs their choice of profession. Eg: Rape of Kolkata Doctor.
4. Poor health conditions: Increased focus on men's health result in deterioration of women's wellness, thus curbing their job opportunities → Restricted to household chores.
5. Marx speaks about emergence of private property and seclusion of women within homes.
6. Uma Chakravarti speaks about role of Green Revolution in feminization of Agricultural labour.

Impacts of Gendered DOL

1. Pauperisation of women: → lack of proper life chances for women, result in their economic dependance.
2. Inter generational trauma: → Socialisation of values to the next generations result in perpetuation of slavery.
3. Domestic violence: → Result of poor mobility of women.
4. Alienation of women: They become alienated within their own social world.
5. Intersectionality: Gail Omvedt speaks about exploitative discrimination faced by lower caste women.
6. Lack of social support for women due to poor class consciousness, as they are underrepresented. Proper empowerment of women with inclusive Education & economic mobility leads to SDG 5 - Gender Equality.