Karl Marx’s Theory of the Capitalist Economic System

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Recommended: The Ideas of Karl Marx

Karl Marx’s was a German philosopher, economist and evolutionary socialist born in Germany on May 5th 1818. His theories mostly consisted of the capitalist economic system. Marx’s attended the University of Bonn and University of Berlin. He is widely recognized for his theory of on the class system which included the concepts of base and super-structure. Marx’s theory of the class system is well exhibited by the documentary film, Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class.
The film Class Dismissed is about a documentary video focusing on the various marginalized groups in the media. This film demonstrates how the working class are in their everyday lives and explore their cultural attitudes in the eyes of society. It generates the target towards African Americas, gay groups and women to be portrayed negatively or in a stereotypical perspective. The class system is well organized in terms of Marx’s theory which is displayed in characters in the media, as independent individuals but at the same time media has added their own perspective of the class of having difficulty fitting in with society and their own personality. According to Karl Marx’s theory of the class system, there are three stages of class (Brym, 2014). The first class consists of the Capitalist/Bourgeoisie who control the means of production; all things you need to produce. This class tends to have the most power and control the working class; they usually invest the money into a company for its machinery, land and raw materials. The second class are the Petite Bourgeoisie who maintains the system by producing ideology (2014). There people rely on the sales of their labour produced material for survival, their major sales are to the higher class of the Bou...

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...mes the Working Class supports and validates Karl Marx’s theory of the class system and the ideology of the base and superstructure. His theory is commonly displayed on television through the typical nineties American sitcom shows wanting to live the dream. According to the film, media has significant power towards the viewers which is able to exploit any common men in wanting to live a wealthy lifestyle and viewing the actors as role models. Therefore Karl Marx’s theory of the ruling class dominating the middle class only benefits the ruling class is indeed applied in the media and a true fact.

Works Cited

Alper, Loretta (2005). Class Dismissed. Northampton, MA: Media Education Foundation.
Brym, Robert. (2014).[Socialization] In, Whittington-Walsh, F. (Ed), Introduction to Sociology: SOCIO 1125: Introduction to Society (91,93,119). Toronto: Nelson Education.

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