Class Analysis is the Basis for Understanding Social Change - Essay Example

Class analysis is the basis for understanding social change in Australia and around the world. As clearly stated and generalized in an excerpt of, A contribution to the critique in political economy in selected works by Marx, K. and Engels, F. (1969), “It is not the consciousness of men that determine their being, but on the contrary their social being that determines their consciousness.” This statement in a broader perspective outlines how the existence of class and the knowledge of this existence, can influence a particular social change and therefore provide a means towards better understanding of the respective change. The structures that exist in the society in relation to various aspects which segment it into different social classes are not created consciously or intentionally by people, but are rather as a result of various institutional powers in play either political or economical or even both. This kind of set up is always created subconsciously mostly for the purposes of convenience. Just as explained by Weber in his concept of social class where he outlines that “the notion of social class is important because it introduces a unifying theme into the diversity of cross-cultural relationship.” Various institutions have brought with them various social structures depending on how they politically or economically divide the population. The most studied of these institutions is capitalism in relation to the period before its advent and its impact on the society in terms of the social structures it has created. The analyses presented by Marxism and later critiqued by Max Weber in relation provide a better background as to how class analysis provides the basis to understanding social change not only in Australia but around the world. It is therefore imperative to look at the points that both Marx and Weber put across concerning the social relationships created by post capitalism. This will form a good basis in establishing whether there is significant relationship between the classes or statuses for that matter, created by post modernism. Furthermore it will shed more light as to how the study and analysis of the classes contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics exhibited in the social context. This will paper will look at both the analysis of Marx and Weber in relation to the various social changes that have been observed since the advent of capitalism. Most specifically, concentrating on the classes created as a result of the economic disparities observed in the labor market and the impact these classes have had on the labor market. Just as outlined earlier in the paper that it is the social being determines the consciousness of people, the social classes that were created as a result of capitalistic institutions have evoked the awareness that has been materialistic in ensuring that the disadvantaged group organize themselves into labor unions in order to advocate for better conditions. On the other hand the advantaged group is also using the entire arsenal within its reach to ensure that the status quo is maintained. Marx’s theory concerning these issues presents some degree of vagueness. It explains how the capitalistic state plays the role of ensuring that the interests of the dominant class are given a greater priority. It also outlines how the capitalist state plays the important role in ensuring that the operations of capitalism are maintained. However it is also clear how the institutions created by capitalism functions to ensure that the disparities existing between the advantaged and the disadvantaged are maintained. The analysis of these social classes for instance in Australia with reference to the dynamics observed in the labor unions explains how they are materialistic in understanding of social change. The existing conflicts between employers and employees provide a good example. The most observable indications of the conflicts for instance leaving of jobs, explains how very many workers are dissatisfied with their employment conditions. An AWIRS (Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey) research established that there exists a voluntary labor turnover of 19% with daily absenteeism of 4.5% a clear indication of outright and widespread dissatisfaction with work. These are the findings concerning social changes that can be revealed when the aspect of class is analyzed. This is clearly summarized by the two concepts outlined by Marx concerning the role played by the capitalistic state in the establishment and maintenance of class. The first concept explains that state plays a significant role in ensuring that classism dominates. The second concept also outlines that the state ensures that the classes are separated through the economic forces it establishes. For a long time there have been trade unions with a very much larger following from the economically disadvantaged workers. These trade unions were established after the realization that the problems of this particular class could be solved through mobilization which would create a formidable force that would coerce the advantaged class to provide better conditions. However this assumption has also been materialistic in ensuring that the advantaged class still exerts dominance. This is clearly outlined when Weber criticizes the Marxist’s assumption that with the coming of industrialization finally the tables will be turned and the middle class will rise to power. In Germany for instance there were even expectations from certain leaders of the social democratic party that the introduction of capitalism would stir a revolution and that the future of the system would be a total failure. This was never to happen and as Weber observed their predictions were futile. History proved Weber’s writings to be true because the Socialist Revolution between 1918 and 1919 only led to the establishment of a concrete bureaucratic state. It can therefore be observed that the social disparities were not as a result of the political leadership because any attempt to change the leadership by the middle class have only served to strengthen its hold of the situation. The same situation can be observed in the political arena in Australia. Millions of workers have been observed to vote for the Union based Labor Party because of the realization that it could advocate for better conditions. This political aspect of class was apparent in the voting patterns of 1992 Victorian elections with reference to the Kennett Liberal landslide. This clearly provided the proof of the extent to which voting patterns were determined by the social class. However throughout the years the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has lost support especially from the working class. The sole reason is that workers have suddenly realized that there is very little they can do as a class when they rally behind ALP. This substantiates Weber’s theory which explains that such a move intended at reforming a system already in existence is futile. Weber refutes Marx’s claims that much of the changes observed during the developments of a society are as a result of class struggles. Weber argues that this assumption gives much importance to the role politics plays in the establishment of social classes while ignoring the roles played by the economic institutions. Weber also explains that this concept ignores the roles history has played in creating status affiliations which have nothing to do with the classes. This could be the reason why trade unions in Australia and all over the world have not exerted any substantial change in the betterment of the class that they present therefore ensuring that the dominating class maintains the status quo. It is apparent that the class conflicts observed is not as a result of any historical or political vendetta but as a result of the different economic interests pursued. It is a battle that is sometimes demonstrated through strikes by workers and work ban by employers in retaliation. This provides another example of how the analysis of class provides a better understanding of social changes. The classes were established by economical institutions that segregated one group from the other, one being more dominant and somewhat oppressive to the other. When the existence of these classes became conscious the different classes adopted a more polarized alignment where the dominant class struggled to remain in control and the oppressed class also struggled to turn the state of things. Weber explains this important aspect that is rather absent in Marx’s analysis; that there are different kinds of complications that can exist during the relationship of the different classes and status group affiliations. There have been attempts in Australia for the workers and the employers and even the government to co-exist through constant meetings and negotiations there has been little success. A Survey conducted between 1989 and 1990, a period of recession when strikes were minimal established that 12% of all work places that employed more than 500 people still engaged in some form of industrial action. The class organization that led to the establishment of trade unions is also materialistic in the uniformity of the various objectives pursued by the union member. For instance it is apparent that most union members irrespective of the different cultures have similar expectations for their unions. However Weber introduces an interestingly different concept in which he stresses that there should be a clear distinction between ‘a class in itself’ and ‘a class for itself’. He explains that class can be very materialistic in influencing the direction of life of people, he goes on to clarify that this will only take place on condition that those experiencing the same condition become conscious and act upon their mutual economic interests. This is the reason why even the Australian working class cannot be homogenous because unique economic challenges may present themselves in a particular segment within the class, for instance the issue of racism towards the Aborigines or gender discrimination against female workers. From the several examples outlined it is obvious that proper and critical analysis of class like for instance the way outlined by Weber and Marx can provide greater understanding and insight of the social changes in a society. This is because class determines the political, economic and social alignments in a particular society and there is no better way to analyze social changes than from these perspectives. References Cassidy, J. (1997). The next thinker: The return of Karl Marx’ The New Yorker. F-R Pub.Corp., October 20& 27, pp.248-259. Connell, R.W. & Irving, T. H. (1992).’ Yes, Virginia, there is a ruling class’. In T. Jagtenberg & P.D’ Alton (eds) Four Dimensional Social Space: Class, gender, ethnicity and Nature: A reader in Australian social sciences, Artarmon: Harper Educational, pp. 39-44. Fieles, D. (1996).’ Still here, still fighting: The working class in the nineties’. In Rick Kuhn, & Tom O’Lincoln (eds) Class and class Conflict in Australia, Melbourne: Longman Australia, Chapter 2, pp.22-39 Marx, K& Engels. (1969).’Preface to a contribution to the critique of political economy’, in Selected Works, Vol.1.Moscow: Progress, pp. 503-504. Marx, K. (1969). The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, in Marx, K. and Engels, F. Selected Works, Vol.1. Moscow: Progress Publishers, pp. 406-407, 420-421, 478-479. Read More