Substructure And Superstructure In Society

How is the sociological concept Class (Bourgeois & Proletariat; substructure; superstructure) useful in understanding Australian society?

The sociological concept of Class (Bourgeois & Proletariat; substructure; superstructure) is useful in understanding Australian society. Class is the system ordering society based on social and economic status. Bourgeois is a reference to the higher and middle class, and proletariat is the lower class (also known as the working class).

In the Marxist theory there is a substructure (also known as the base) and a superstructure. The substructure is the forces and social relations, working conditions between employee and employer. The substructure is also made up of relations with property and the division of labour which people use to provide the necessities of life. The superstructure is based on the relations of the substructure but the superstructure is also based on other relationships and ideas such as culture, political power and roles. The superstructure and substructure is both influenced by each other.

The sociological concept class is useful in understanding Australian society because it affects all Australians till this very day. In a country where there are classes, there is immense inequality. Assets and investments are used for the Bourgeois class for items such as luxury and purchaser goods leaving many millions and billions of people’s needs neglected. Majority of the Third Worlds valuable amplitude, specifically land goes into generating yield/crops for exporting to rich countries instead of producing and supplying food for the starving and famishing people. The Bourgeois class people snatch most of the resources before the Proletariat have a chance because they can afford to...

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Foreign investors make big conflict between Bourgeois class people and the Proletariat class people. Foreign investors usually end up having winners and losers. The winners being the investors and the Bourgeois and the losers being the proletariat. For example, Vegemite and Arnotts being sold to a foreign investor and the proletariat losing their jobs. Workers are weak and giant numbers of people are being dumped and left unemployed for long periods of time. Poverty is increasing even in the richest countries. Foreign investors and globalisation is decimating society and destroying the circumstances on which are vital for cohesion such as recognising the public good and worry for the society, the underdog and the environment. This also is another factor and reason for why it is useful in understanding the sociological concept of class in Australian society.