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Exam 1: Sociological Theory

Terms in this set (47)

Alienation
The estrangement of humans from their species-being or human nature. Marx believes that alienation is a feature of all societies before communism, especially capitalism.
Species being (human nature)
consists in a particular set of vital drives and tendencies, whose exercise constitutes flourishing as a human.
Actualization
opposite of alienation- activity of the self, controlled by and for the self.
Capitalism
production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and the social system based on the principle of individual rights, including property rights.
Class
a group of people who have in common a specific relation to the means of production.
Commodity
something with exchange value, that is, something that can be bought or sold.
Class Conciousness
the sense of common identification and knowledge of ones class.
False Consciousness
the inability to see where ones class interests lie; hence the inability to express class consciousness.
Fetishism of Commodities
refers to the distorted relationship between individual production and consumption of goods.
Fetishism of Commodities (process)
(I) we reify commodities
(II) we are blinded to the true nature of commodities and the history of labor of that commodity
Result- it desensitizes us, shapes our relationship with others and the capitalists. The capitalist is let off the hook, technology or progress is blamed. Think Global Economy
Monopoly
the production or distribution of one or several commodities by one company
Oligopoly
the production and distribution of one of several commodities by just a few companies
Socialism
the public ownership and control of the means of production.
Variable Capital Costs
the costs of paying the wages of the workforce
Mode of Production
the form of subsistence (production) of a society, compromised of the means of production (also referred to as productive forces) and the relations of production.
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