2 weeks until your exam!

1. 2 weeks until your exam! Tuesday 26th January 9am Sports Hall

2. Structural theories Marxism

3. Recap of functionalism - starter Blockbusters Try to write a paragraph summarising the key aspects of the functionalist theory from last lesson.

4. Marxism Vs Functionalism What they have in common Differences • Both view society as a structure • Society shapes the behaviour and ideas of individuals • Conflict of interests – Marxists reject the view that society if harmonious – see it as based on conflict of interests between social classes • Marxists don’t see society as stable and stress the possibility of sudden, revolutionary change.

5. Marx’s ideas 1818-83 Like Durkheim, he saw the harm being done by industrial society and the promise of progress to a better world that is held. Thought it was possible to understand society scientifically – scientific socialism

6. Not just a theorist Marx was not just a theorist, he was also a revolutionary socialist. “Philosophers have merely interpreted the world; the point, however, is to change it.” After his death , Marx’s ideas came to form the basis of communism – a political movement that was influential in shaping the modern world.

7. Marx’s ideas Read through the section of text you are allocated Write a twitter summary of that section Historical materialism Class society & exploitation Capitalism Class consciousness Ideology Alienation The state, revolution & communism

8. Criticisms of Marx Class Simplistic view of inequality – only sees class as important Feminists would argue gender more important source of inequality Economic determinism The view that economic factors are the sole cause of everything in society – including social change Fails to recognise that people have free will

9. The two Marxisms • The absence of revolutions in the West has led many Marxists to reject the economic determinism of the base-superstructure model. • Instead, they have tried to answer 2 questions: • Why capitalism has persisted • How it might be overthrown.

10. 2 broad approaches to these questions • Humanistic or critical Marxism • This has some similarities with action theories and interpretive sociology • Scientific or structuralist Marxism • A structural approach, has similarities with positivist sociology.

15. Task • Read through the pages on Gramsci and those on Althusser. • Then prepare for the essay: • Critically examine Marxist perspectives on today’s society. 33 marks

16. Advice for the essay The question carries 15 AO1 marks (knowledge and understanding) and 18 AO2 marks (interpretation, application, analysis and evaluation). Begin your answer with an account of Marx’s key ideas. Make sure you include materialism, class conflict, alienation, exploitation, false consciousness, ideology, the state and revolution. A good focus would be Marx’s theory of change, so explain how Marx sees capitalism being replaced by communism

17. More advice The question asks about Marxist perspectives Look at developments since Marx. Examine the 2 Marxisms – humanist and structuralist. Outline their key concepts You can contrast them in terms of their view of how change occurs. You should also evaluate by assessing the strength of some of the criticisms of Marxism.

18. Plenary Write the introduction/conclusion for this essay (5 mins)

19. Homework From Revision Pack Suicide 21 mark essay question – due Thursday Power & control 21 mark essay question – due Friday Use the examiners advice from your text books to help you

20. Sociology Revision Workshops Tuesday 12-1- Study Centre Thursday lunch times – F5 Come and see me to make an appointment if you are not free at these times