Week 10: Capitalism as a Social Problem
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Questions and Answers

Match the following terms related to capitalism with their corresponding descriptions:

Alienation = The disconnection workers feel from their labor and its products Market Discipline = Mechanisms that enforce compliance with market norms Neoliberalism = An economic policy emphasizing free-market capitalism Intersectionality = The study of overlapping social identities and related systems of oppression

Match the cultural ideologies with their roles in supporting capitalism:

Meritocratic Myth = The belief that success is based on individual effort Consumerism = The cultural practice of purchasing goods as a means of identity Individualism = The principle of prioritizing personal goals over communal interests Work Ethic = The belief that hard work leads to success and is morally virtuous

Match the mechanisms of market discipline with their effects:

Job Insecurity = Fear of losing one's job which pressures workers to conform Performance Metrics = Quantifiable measures forcing workers to compete Surveillance = Monitoring of employees to ensure adherence to market standards Wage Suppression = Keeping wages low to maintain profit margins

Match the impacts of neoliberalism with their corresponding effects on society:

<p>Decreased Regulation = Reduction in government oversight of businesses Privatization = Transfer of public services to private entities Increased Inequality = Widening gap between the wealthy and the poor Reduced Social Services = Cutbacks in government-funded assistance programs</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following concepts with their descriptions:

<p>Alienation in the Workplace = A feeling of disconnection from work and its outcomes Market Discipline Mechanisms = Methods used to encourage workers to comply with corporate objectives Impact of Neoliberalism = A shift of essential services to market-based systems Cultural Ideology Supporting Capitalism = Sets of ideas that justify inequality under capitalism</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following market discipline methods with their descriptions:

<p>System of rewards and punishment = Encourages productivity through incentives and consequences Laying people off or firing them = Employers reduce workforce to manage costs Docking wages = Reducing pay as a penalty for poor performance Threat of unemployment = Instills fear to maintain worker compliance</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following aspects of neoliberalism to their implications:

<p>Education becoming a market = Tuition fees rise, making access to education harder Health care as a sold service = Individuals bear costs rather than the government Corporate profit promotion = State prioritizes business interests over public welfare Child care marketization = Parents must pay for services that were once state-provided</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following cultural ideas with their roles in capitalism:

<p>Individualism = Focuses on personal responsibility, distracting from systemic issues Meritocratic myth = Promotes the belief that success is based solely on individual effort Ideology of success = Suggests outcomes are determined by personal qualities Status achievement = Defines worth based on wealth and prestige gained through work</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following intersectionality aspects to their implications under capitalism:

<p>Gender pay gap = Disparity in earnings based on gender Glass ceiling = Barriers preventing women from rising to top positions Second shift = Women taking on additional unpaid work at home Racialized dimensions = Differential impacts of capitalist structures based on race</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following alienation-related behaviors to their characteristics:

<p>Obedience = Submission to authority without question Dependability = Reliability in performing assigned tasks Pleasing authority = Desire to meet expectations of superiors Work ethic = Commitment to hard work irrespective of conditions</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following mechanisms of social control with their effects:

<p>Regular mobilization of state power = Maintains social discipline during unrest System of rewards = Incentivizes improved performance among workers Threat of unemployment = Drives compliance through fear Laying off employees = Direct consequence of poor economic conditions</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following elements of cultural ideology with their definitions:

<p>Individualism = A cultural focus on self and personal achievement Meritocracy = The belief that success is solely based on individual merit Status symbols = Material indicators of one's success in capitalist society Social structure = The organized pattern of relationships within a society</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following forms of alienation with their descriptions:

<p>Alienation from the product = Worker feels disconnected from what they produce Alienation from the act of labour = Worker feels distanced from the process of work Alienation from fellow human beings = Worker lacks relationships with other workers Alienation from one's essential human nature = Worker feels deprived of their creative and social potential</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following mechanisms of market discipline with their examples:

<p>Surveillance = Monitoring workers to ensure compliance Performance evaluations = Assessing productivity to justify layoffs or promotions Wage freezes = Holding salaries steady to control costs Mandatory overtime = Forcing workers to extend their hours beyond their contracts</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following impacts of neoliberalism with their explanations:

<p>Deregulation = Reduced government intervention in markets Privatization = Transfer of public assets to private ownership Free trade agreements = Facilitating trade without tariffs between nations Labor market flexibility = Encouraging temporary and part-time work</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following cultural ideologies supporting capitalism with their characteristics:

<p>Meritocracy = Belief that success is based on individual effort and talent Consumerism = Emphasis on purchasing goods as a measure of success Individualism = Focus on self-reliance and personal achievement Entrepreneurial spirit = Valuing innovation and risk-taking in business</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following aspects of intersectionality in capitalism with their implications:

<p>Class = Determines access to wealth and opportunities Race = Influences experiences of discrimination in the workplace Gender = Affects roles and expectations in labor markets Sexual orientation = Shapes workplace dynamics and interactions</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following consequences of exploitation under capitalism with their statements:

<p>Wage stagnation = Workers receive limited raises despite rising productivity Job insecurity = Prevalence of temporary and precarious employment Reduced worker rights = Erosion of labor protections over time Increased profit margins = Owners keep a larger share of earnings at workers' expense</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms related to class struggle with their definitions:

<p>Exploitation = The process of extracting surplus value from workers' labor Contradiction = Conflict arising when the interests of classes diverge Conflict = Direct struggle between the working and owning classes Dispossession = Workers losing control over means of production</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following concepts of alienation with their impacts on workers:

<p>Alienation from labor = Results in decreased job satisfaction and engagement Alienation from product = Leads to lack of pride in the work produced Alienation from fellow workers = Creates a hostile or competitive work environment Alienation from essential nature = Prevents workers from expressing creativity and social identity</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of net worth do the wealthiest households (top 20%) hold in Canada?

<p>67.1% (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The bottom 10% of households in Canada own more than they owe in debt.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the terms used to describe the idea that success is a result of hard work and intelligence?

<p>Meritocracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

The richest 38 families in Canada collectively own more than _____ million Canadians.

<p>11</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of neoliberalism?

<p>Making all aspects of life subject to markets (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The state operates to primarily facilitate public welfare over corporate profit.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the cultural ideas that justify and maintain inequality under capitalism?

<p>ideology</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ________ refers to a belief that individuals achieve success solely through their own efforts and merits.

<p>meritocratic myth</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match each impact of capitalism with its characteristic:

<p>Gender pay gap = Economic disparity between genders Glass ceiling = Barrier to advancement for women Second shift = Additional unpaid work at home for women</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a method used in market discipline?

<p>Employing a system of rewards and punishment (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Intersectionality does not affect how capitalism is experienced by different social groups.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which cultural idea distracts from questioning social structure by focusing on individual behavior?

<p>Individualism</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines capitalism?

<p>An economic system where production means are privately owned by some and used by others. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The meritocratic myth posits that people’s earnings are strictly based on what they deserve based on their work.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the core structural features of capitalism?

<p>Contradiction, dispossession, alienation and conflict, market discipline, intersectional inequalities, neoliberalism.</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to sociologists, capitalism is a complicated system of social ________.

<p>relations</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of the owning class in a capitalist society?

<p>They own the means of production. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these myths is commonly associated with capitalism?

<p>The success based on what people deserve is a common belief. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Workers under capitalism have equal power in negotiations with the owning class.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Sociologists believe that understanding capitalism requires advanced knowledge in economics.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Define 'dispossession' in the context of capitalism.

<p>Dispossession refers to the process by which workers are deprived of the means of production necessary for their survival and productive labor.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Name one powerful factor that helps reproduce capitalism.

<p>Cultural ideologies or social institutions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Under capitalism, workers are often ________ from the product of their labor, creating a sense of alienation.

<p>alienated</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which term best describes the practice of limiting a worker's choice to sell their labor for survival?

<p>Market compulsion (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Market discipline refers to the process that makes it easier for workers to resist exploitation.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What historical process is referred to by 'primitive accumulation' in capitalism?

<p>Primitive accumulation is the process through which common resources are converted into private property, establishing a class of privileged owners.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Capitalism's social relations

Capitalism involves specific habits and behaviors that are necessary to maintain the system.

State control (capitalism)

The state enforces social discipline using its power when needed for capitalist systems.

Neoliberalism

Making public and personal life subject to the market, including necessary services (education, childcare).

Neoliberal society

A society where all aspects of daily life are impacted by market forces.

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Intersectionality (capitalism)

Capitalism affects different groups (gender, race) differently.

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Capitalism's ideology

Cultural ideas that explain, justify, and maintain a capitalist system.

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Individualism (capitalism)

Focuses on individual behavior and actions, ignoring broader social structures.

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Meritocratic myth

The idea that wealth and success are solely earned through hard work and merit.

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Capitalism

An economic and social system where private individuals own the means of production and workers sell their labor for wages.

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Central Myths of Capitalism

Beliefs that capitalism is a purely economic system, only understood by economists, and based on merit.

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Contradiction

A core feature of capitalism where inherent tensions exist between different groups, like capitalists and workers.

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Dispossession

Capitalism involves separating workers from the means of production, making them dependent on wages.

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Alienation

Capitalism creates feelings of estrangement and separation from work, products, and others.

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Market Discipline

The constant pressure to compete and be productive under capitalism.

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Intersectional Inequalities

Capitalism's impact varies across different social groups, leading to overlapping inequalities.

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Social Class in Capitalism

A division of society based on people's relationship to the means of production (factories, land, tools). The owning class owns these means, while the working class must sell their labor to survive.

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Exploitation in Capitalism

The owning class pays workers only enough to survive, keeping the majority of profits for themselves.

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Contradictions of Capitalism

What benefits the owning class often harms the working class. This creates tension and conflict, like when machines replace workers or wages are cut.

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Dispossession in Capitalism

Workers are forced to sell their labor because they've been separated from the means of production (land, tools) needed to survive independently.

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Primitive Accumulation

The process of taking common resources (land, water) and making them private property, often through force or law, creating an unequal system.

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Market Compulsion

Capitalism forces workers to sell their labor for a wage to survive, leaving them little choice.

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Alienation in Capitalism

A harmful distance between the worker and their work, other workers, and their own humanity. Workers don't feel connected to what they produce.

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Capitalism's Contradictions

Inherent tensions in capitalism, like the conflict between capitalists (who own the means of production) and workers (who sell their labor).

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Capitalism: Dispossession

Taking away workers' control over the means of production (land, tools, factories), forcing them to sell their labor for wages to survive.

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Capitalism: A Social System

Capitalism isn't just an economic system, it's a social system that shapes our relationships, behaviors, and values.

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The Myth of Meritocracy in Capitalism

The belief that success and wealth are solely determined by individual merit and hard work, ignoring systemic factors like access to opportunities.

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What is dispossession?

Workers are forced to sell their labor because they've been separated from the means of production (land, tools) needed to survive independently.

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Capitalist Habits

Behaviors and routines that maintain the capitalist system, such as obedience, dependability, and work ethic.

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State Control in Capitalism

The government uses force, like police or laws, to maintain social order and support capitalism, even when that control seems excessive.

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Impact of Capitalism on Different Identities

Capitalism affects people differently based on their gender, race, or other identities.

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Individualism in Capitalism

The focus on individual actions and choices, which ignores the wider structures that create inequality.

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Wealth Inequality

The vast difference in wealth held by different groups in society, with a small percentage controlling a disproportionate amount.

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Means of Production

The resources (factories, land, tools) needed to produce goods and services, controlled by the owning class in capitalism.

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Exploitation

In capitalism, workers are paid less than the value they create, with profits going to the owning class.

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Study Notes

Week 10: Capitalism as a Social Problem

  • Learning Objectives: Define capitalism and its central myths, understand the core structural features of capitalism, understand key cultural ideas that sustain capitalism’s power
  • Exam 2: November 21st, in class. Use weekly study guides; an additional exam resource will be available in Brightspace.

What is Capitalism and its Central Myths?

  • Capitalism: An economic and social system where means of production (land, machines, workplaces) are privately owned by some for use by others (workers) who sell their labor for wages.
  • Sociologists view: Capitalism is a complex system of social relations, not just economic mechanisms
  • Central Myths:
    • Capitalism is solely an economic system, separate from the social world.
    • Understanding and changing it requires only economic expertise.
    • It's based on merit, where success is solely due to individual effort.

The Central Myths of Capitalism

  • Myth 1: Capitalism is an economic system that operates solely by economic mechanisms, independent from the social world.
  • Myth 2: You need economic expertise to understand capitalism and change it.
  • Myth 3: Capitalism is based on merit, where individuals' success depends on their earned worth and effort.

Sociologists' Approach to Capitalism

  • Focus: Capitalism as a social system, examining cultural and structural aspects.
  • Cultural Aspects: How does culture reproduce capitalism? Why does it remain unchanged? What factors keep capitalism going?
  • Structural Aspects: How are social relations and the distribution of goods structured under capitalism? How is inequality maintained? How do various institutions support capitalism?

Core Structural Features of Capitalism

  • Contradiction and Conflict
  • Dispossession
  • Alienation
  • Market Discipline
  • Neoliberalism
  • Intersectional Inequalities

Karl Marx (1815-1883) on Capitalism and the Working Class

  • Social Relations: Grounded on social class (owning vs. working class based on relationship to the means of production).
  • Exploitation: Owners pay workers minimally, keeping most profits.
  • Contradiction: What benefits owners doesn't benefit workers.
  • Conflict: Continuous struggle between workers and owners.
  • Quote: "The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles."

Capitalism and the Dispossession of Workers

  • Dispossession: Workers are deprived of the necessary means of production (land, machines, workplaces) to produce goods for themselves.
  • Primitive Accumulation: Historical process of converting common resources into private property, creating a privileged class.
  • Example: The English enclosure movement (18th/19th century).
  • Market Compulsion: Workers have no choice but to sell their labor for wages.

Alienation Under Capitalism

  • Alienation: Distance between workers and themselves, other workers, and the products of their labor.
  • Four forms: Alienated from the product, act of labor, fellow human beings, and one's essential human nature (creativity and social connection).

Market Discipline

  • Market Discipline: Process to instill specific habits and behaviors in people to make exploitation possible.
  • Influence: Schools, workplaces, state forces (police, law, prisons).
  • Methods: rewards and punishments, laying off workers, threats of job loss, company closures.

Neoliberalism

  • Definition: Policies, practices, and ideas focused on using markets and the free market to control all aspects of life (public/private).
  • Characteristics: Public services (healthcare, education, child care) become commodified, and the state prioritizes corporate profits over public welfare.
  • Neoliberal Society: A society where all public and personal lives are governed by market mechanisms.

Intersectional Understanding of Capitalism

  • Impact: Capitalism's effects vary based on gender and race.
  • Examples: Gender pay gap, glass ceiling, intersectional inequalities.
  • Further Study: Week 13 will cover gendered capitalist relations; Week 12 will discuss racialized dimensions.

Cultural Ideas Sustaining Capitalism

  • Ideology: Specific set of cultural ideas to explain, justify, and maintain capitalist inequality.
  • Focus: Examines cultural ideas that justify the current status quo and societal inequalities within capitalism.
  • Concepts: Individualism ("every person is responsible for their own success") creates an occupied idea about human behavior and how individuals think.
  • Myth of Meritocracy: Success depends on hard work, skills, and abilities.

Meritocracy and the Self-Made Myth

  • Meritocracy: Success is based on hard work, talent, and merit.
  • Central Claim: Individuals succeed (or fail) because they work hard.
  • Challenging the Myth: The idea that wealth, power, and prestige are solely achieved through individual effort ignores societal structures and opportunities.

Further Study

  • Data Example: Wealth disparity (top 20% wealth), CEOs earning 206x more than average workers.
  • Additional Resources: Youtube video clips (date and link).

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Week 10 - Capitalism as a Social Problem Lecture Notes PDF

Description

Explore the complexities of capitalism and its social implications in this quiz. Understand the central myths that sustain capitalism's power and the sociological perspectives on this economic system. Prepare for Exam 2 with key concepts and cultural ideas that shape capitalism.

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