ipl-logo

Sociological Aphorism

1044 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Marx social analysis

The state is a social relation. Discuss the application and limitations of this sociological aphorism by reference to the social theory of Marx, Durkheim and Weber.

"In many ways the rise of the state was the descent of the world from freedom to slavery." - Marvin Harris (Cannibals and Kings: 1977)

The term known as 'state' within societies, has been difficult to define to a particular connotation. Throughout history, from many different civilisations, from the Roman Empire to present day politics, the 'state' has adopted different policies and regimes in order to govern the said country, albeit potentially having ulterior motives. The concept of the 'state' is often defined as the municipal government of a society, which is put into place …show more content…

Many other scholars have agreed or attempted to demystify each individual theory. This essay shall confer as to each separate theory of the state as a relation. It shall furthermore discuss the limitations of each theory, while examining contributions from other theorists and scholars in the field of anthropology and sociology.
According to Marx, societies consist of two structures: super and infra. The latter consists of the base structures needed for the said societies production and operation; structures such as transport, energy and healthcare are part of the infrastructure. Institutions such as the justice system, military and family, among others, make up the superstructure. Marx viewed the 'state' as being in a relationship with society as one of control and subservience, respectively, therefore creating conflict. In Marx's theory of the state, he postulates the terms of mode/means of production, where the labour force are oppressed by the elite and owners of the production. He conferred that there were different stratifications, which formed economic bases, creating an ideological superstructure which consisted of juridical and …show more content…

He elucidates further that the people who control and protect the elite/ruling class hold top positions such as "cabinet ministers, MP's; senior police'; military officers and top judges (Miliband, 1969). However, in answer to Miliband, Poulantzas (1969, 1976) provided his own theory that suggested the power in a 'state' lay with the construction of society rather than an personage basis. He confers that there is a "factor of cohesion of a social formation" therefore suggesting that a 'state' is indispensable in order for the function of a capitalist society. Poulantzas also conversed that, while the 'state' did indeed protect the interests of the elite and ruling classes, the make-up of the 'state' did not necessarily consist of members of the ruling class (Poulantzas, 1976). Marxist theory of the 'state' and capitalism has been supported and both criticised throughout the decades, however, there is clear evidence within today's societies that a 'state' does indeed exist, one need only observe the United Kingdom of present day. It can thus be suggested that Marx's theory of the 'state' is a social relation, however, how the individual interprets the 'state' lies within their perception and observation during periods in past and present situations where such said 'state' implements ideologies and policies which

Show More
Related
1018 Words | 5 Pages

Karl Marx, a ground breaking sociologist, economist, and philosopher, lived from 1818 to 1883. During his lifetime he propounded this epic sociologic perspective, the conflict theory. (McClelland) The conflict theory discusses how the rich and the poor have been fighting ongoing battle for power. The group in control actively defends their advantages.

Read More
735 Words | 3 Pages

Marx explains that society needs to be understood by studying real, existing human beings. We think about individuals historically to gain an understanding of reality. Physical survival is the key component; moreover, individuals need to survive to create history in which Marx studied to create explanations. Social production is a fundamental part of Marx’s theory of historical materialism. He asserts that individuals need to organize themselves and create some sort of order to survive.

Read More
1246 Words | 5 Pages

1) According to the film, the standard metaphor for a corporation is that of an apple within a barrel where most apples are good and just a few bad. Several CEO’s offered alternative metaphors, such as pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, a sports team, family unity, a telephone system, or an eagle. Less flattering metaphors are that of a devouring monster, a whale, or the Frankenstein monster. Are any of these metaphors more appropriate than others?

Read More
729 Words | 3 Pages

In other words, he regards that men should have autonomy and ruled not by the authority of a small group of people, named a state. However, this notion of state has been criticized because without the state society cannot maintain its peace and order. If there is

Read More
1193 Words | 5 Pages

The idea of State has always existed in different period of history, however the definition of the state changed according to the historical and social circumstances of the time. The definition on which the paper is built upon is the one from Roberts (1979) who characterizes the state as “the presence of a supreme authority, ruling over a defined territory, who is recognized as having power to make decisions in matters of government, ... is able to enforce such decisions and generally maintain order within the state”. Considering this definition, it can be assumed that a state needs to be authoritarian, own a territory, and make prove of efficiency, as well as legitimacy. On this basis, it is consider that not all the countries became states

Read More
1502 Words | 7 Pages

Meanwhile, the theory of Communism was theoretically developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, with the writing of “The Communist Manifesto” (Heywood, Politics 41). Communism is a system in which all economics and politics are synthesized into one classless state which is most commonly associated with common ownership and people 's leadership by a political party. Although both ideologies coincide in a few aspects when in practice, Communism and Fascism feature different approaches to property and society. Similarities between Fascism and Communism First, under both despotic systems, the state controls the production system, industry, and trade.

Read More
1806 Words | 8 Pages

“The Anatomy of the State”, by Rothbard, discusses the abuses suffered by the public in order for the state to maintain control. Rothbard’s work also discusses the state’s ability to self-regulate. Finally, Hayek’s “Road to Serfdom” warns against the rise of a despot

Read More
1563 Words | 7 Pages

(Young 2014:19). In addition, this framework implies that sociocultural complexity is the striking feature of the state – or, at least, characterises social groups that are in the process of becoming one. In his paper, Possehl goes against this view by

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

Comparison of Marx and Weber for their approach about state and society: Max Weber is one of the philosophers able to explain economic systems such as capitalism. He was born in Germany in 1864 at that time there were a dramatic change in Germany in terms of industrial so there were a transitional German period and that influenced by those changes happened. Max Weber has a specific ideology about state and society. In constant, Karl Marx was a sociologist who were born in Germany in 1818, his idea and ideology about state and society are revolutionary. In addition, he was influenced by Communist party and he worked as a journalist he wrote a number of books and articles about capitalism, state, and society.

Read More
846 Words | 4 Pages

Capitalism is understood to be the “economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.” In modern society, capitalism has become the dominant economic system and has become so integrated that it has resulted in a change in the relationships individuals have with other members of society and the materials within society. As a society, we have become alienated from other members of society and the materials that have become necessary to regulate ourselves within it, often materials that we ourselves, play a role in producing. Capitalism has resulted in a re-organization of societies, a more specialized and highly segmented division of labour one which maintains the status quo in society by alienating the individual. Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim theorize on how power is embodied within society and how it affects the individuals of society.

Read More
1091 Words | 5 Pages

In this essay I will compare and contrast Marx and Weber’s theories on social change and the rise of modern capitalism. Firstly I will provide a brief outline of Marx’s theories relating to social change and capitalism. I will then briefly outline Weber’s theories on social change and the rise of modern capitalism. Finally I will give my own critique of the theories outlining which one I prefer and the reasons for my choice.

Read More
815 Words | 4 Pages

Socioeconomic status is frequently considered to be a potential confounder or a risk factor for overweight and obesity in health studies. Although there is general agreement that SES is a multidimensional construct, scholars tend to include only one socioeconomic status component in their predictive models and few researches have provided an explicit theoretical and methodological rationale for the choice of indicators (Ball et al., 2002). Socioeconomic status is a measure of an individual’s position within society that is determined by the access to collectively desired resources (Oakes and Rossi, 2003). The SES concept has emerged from the class approach to social structure analysis, primarily developed by Karl Marx and Max Weber, and, consequently, is widely used as a synonym to “social position”, “socioeconomic position” or “social class” (Liberato et al., 1988). From Marx’s perspective, social class is identified as a group of people sharing common relations to the means of production that support their wellbeing (Marx, 1981).

Read More
1719 Words | 7 Pages

Marx was one of the most intelligible and perspective critics. However, the study of political sociology refers to the interrelationship between both politics and society and somehow this relationship cannot be separated between both of them or it is hard to separate between both politics and society, because they are interrelated. As a result, of this interconnection between both politics and society, there is a social relationship between both of them which lead to reform in the society and make the community a better place

Read More
812 Words | 4 Pages

Karl Marx’s legacy in social theory does not lie in his predictions of future utopias but it rather lies in his analyses of the contradictions, as well as the workings, of capitalism. Within contemporary sociology, this tradition is very much alive in world-systems analysis, it is a perspective that has been developed by Immanuel Wallerstein in the 1970’s. The Modern World-Systems (MWS) theory is a macroscale and multidisciplinary approach to world history, as well as, social change. The MWS theory emphasizes the world system, as opposed to nation states, as the primary unit of social analysis, but it is not the sole unit of social analysis. According to Wallerstein, the modern nation state lies in a broad political, economic and legal framework

Read More
1727 Words | 7 Pages

Conflict theory states that tensions and conflicts arise when resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society and that these conflicts become the engine for social change. In this context, Marx’s conflict approach was developed in 19th century by Karl Marx (1818-83) .Marx argued wealth and power were unequally distributed in society and sought to explain how one minority group (1% ruling-class) in society maintained its dominance over the majority (working-class). Weber formulated a response to Marx’s theory. Weber saw that conflict didn’t overwhelmingly involve the economy, but that the state and economy together set up conditions for conflict. In this essay I will discuss the views of Conflict Theorists on

Read More

More about Sociological Aphorism

Related Topics

Open Document