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Outline on the Base &
the Superstructure
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THE THEORY OF THE BASE & SUPERSTRUCTURE HOLDS THAT ECON RELATIONS
ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL FOUNDATION OF ALL OTHER SOCIAL RELATIONS |
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Note: There is much debate over the interpretation of Marx's
work as seen in the related & competing schools of thought such as
conflict theory, neo Marxism, the critical school, etc. |
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Class analysis holds that all history is history of class struggle |
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Class struggle is rooted in economic struggle/competition |
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Understanding economics is at the heart of understanding society
because our most fundamental needs are based on food, clothing & shelter
& the "higher needs" of art, recreation, even sexuality, are secondary
to material needs |
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However, there is an ancient, & on-going philosophical debate over
whether material (economic) [Archaic Language] conditions determine
the nature of human society or whether idealistic (cultural) conditions
determine the nature of society |
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All other human relations fail when fundamental economic relations
fail, e.g. food, clothing, shelter |
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ECON RELATIONS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF SOCIETY IN THAT MOST OF US
DEFINE
OURSELVES BY WHAT WE DO IN LIFE & BY THE FACT THAT ECON INSTITS
DOMINATE SOCIETY TODAY |
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The concepts of the base & the superstructure embody the idea that:
"We
are what we do" |
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The concepts of the base & the superstructure are similar to humanistic
psychology concept of self actualization
in that we strive to develop ourselves to highest degree & this is
usually done by immersing ourselves in creation, in becoming |
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Alienation occurs when we cannot develop |
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There are many divergent & convergent conceptions of human nature |
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Species being is Marx's term for our most basic human nature
which is a collective or social group conception, an not an individual
conception of human nature |
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THE BASE IS THE ECON FOUNDATION & THE SUPERSTRUCTURE
IS BUILT UPON THE BASE & INCLUDES CULTURE & ALL OTHER SOC RELATIONS |
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The Chart on the Base &
the Superstructure depicts the belief that the economy is the
base
or
foundation of society & that culture or superstructure of society
is determined by the base |
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The base is the economic foundation of society including the
means of production & relations of production |
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The base includes what is commonly known as the economy, & also
all the social relationships inherent in the economic sphere of society |
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The superstructure includes the ideas of society & their
manifestations including culture, law, art, entertainment, etc. |
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The superstructure includes what is commonly known as culture, &
also all the social relationships inherent in the cultural sphere of society |
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See Also: Marxist Economics |
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Common terms for the base & the superstructure are the economy
& the culture |
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THE BASE HAS THE QUALITIES OF A FOUNDATION, INCLUDES THE
MEANS
OF PRODUCTION, INCLUDES THE RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION, & DETERMINES
CULTURE |
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The base has FOUR major quals. The base:
a. is the economic foundation of society
b. includes the means of production
c. includes the relations of production
d. determines culture |
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THE QUALITIES OF CULTURE INCLUDE THAT IT IS COMPOSED OF KBVN
& REPRESENTS THE IDEAS MANIFESTED IN SOCIETY, INCLUDING THE
LAW,
THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, ETC. |
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Cultural relationships ( KBVN ) are the superstructure or framework
of society |
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The superstructure has FOUR major qualities
a. represents the ideas of society
b. represents the manifestations of society
c. is made up of culture & law
d. is made up of art & entertainment |
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In the overview of conflict theory, one of the major principles of
conflict theory is that culture is shaped by the economic base
of society |
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But most social scientists view this point as the question of how much
does the economy influence culture? |
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For Marx, the structure of the economy determines structure
of culture |
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For Marx, the base determines the superstructure |
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For Marx, a particular economic order creates a particular type of
culture |
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THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE ECONS OF DIFFERENT ERAS MANIFESTED
THE PARTICULAR CULTURAL SYSTEMS OF THOSE ERAS |
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A feudalistic economy had one type of culture, a religious & authoritarian
culture
A capitalist economy has another type of culture, a consumerist &
individualist culture
A socialist economy has another type of culture, a cooperative &
bureaucratic culture |
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Furthermore, an analysis of the base & superstructure shows that
different types of economic systems have different cultures
Agriculture
Industrial
Service
High Tech |
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Do different occupations have different
cultures?
(knowledge, beliefs, values, norms)?
Top executive?
Worker?
Cop?
Teacher?
Entertainer?
Athletes? |
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One bit of proof of the conception of the base & the superstructure
is that different occupations have different cultures |
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THE BASE EMBODIES THE SOCIAL STRUCTURES OF THE ECON
& ED; THE SUPERSTRUCTURE EMBODIES ALL OTHER SOCIAL STRUCTURES,
INCLUDING PF RG M CML |
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The Chart on the Base & the Superstructure
& the Social Structure shows that the economy determines all other
aspects of society |
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See Also: Social Structures |
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The question of how much the economy influences culture is reflected
in an ancient, but still on-going philosophical debate (archaic language)
btwn materialism & idealism |
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Materialism, as a philosophy, holds that the concrete aspects of life
are primary determinants |
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Idealism, as a philosophy, holds that the abstract aspects of life
are primary determinants |
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What is the relationship btwn material life & ideal life? |
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Most Marxists, but not conflict theorists, believe material life
totally determines ideal life |
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Marx's theories are based on a materialistic (economic) view of humanity |
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SOCIALIZATION BY THE BASE IS THE MOST PERVASIVE &
POWERFUL |
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The fundamental idea of material life determining ideal life is found
in many other theories, especially the concept of socialization |
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Socialization is: |
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a. a process that "teaches" people roles & functions
to develop a self - image in people |
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b. how we "deep learn" through exposure to & participation
in the activities of our lives |
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Review: Socialization |
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The economy shapes our culture / personality because we, for example,
engage is the processes of the economy that teach us to look out for number
one, work hard, etc. |
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Conflict theorists believe that material life influences
ideal life |
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By "controlling" the base, the upper class "controls"
the superstructure |
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The ultimate question is not whether the upper class controls the superstructure,
but rather how much influence the upper class has over the superstructure |
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Marx believed that the powerful promote a belief in their ideology,
i.e., ideology of the upper class |
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In general, most workers support the status quo, i.e. the ideology
of the upper class |
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Ideologies are mental systems of beliefs about reality: world
view |
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Conflict theorists believe that Americans have the ideology of the
rich |
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Conflict theorists believe that most Americans have a "morbid
belief " that they also can be rich |
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While most Americans are hopeful that they too can be rich, the reality
is that class structure has changed only minimally in last 100 yrs. |
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Social scientists, activists, et al, frequently struggle w/ the questions,
"Why do Americans have false consciousness?" & "What can be done to
change what people believe?" etc. |
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One common reason people believe what they do is the influence of the
media,
but conflict theorists & Marxists hold that the media's ideology is
only a reflection of the larger ideology as created by the base |
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The media continually holds up unrealistic success stories for people
to long after: |
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Cinderella
Pretty Woman
Who wants to be a millionaire?
The Lottery |
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'CLASSIC' CONFLICT THEORISTS HOLD THAT THE SOC RELATIONS OF THE
BASE
DETERMINES THE SOC RELATIONS OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE, BUT NEO
CONFLICT THEORISTS & OTHERS HOLD THAT THERE IS A MUTUAL INTERACTION
BTWN THE TWO |
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The question of the relationship btwn the economy & culture is
not simply one of how strongly one influences the other |
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The question of the relationship btwn the economy & culture may
also be understood as a struggle of competing value systems, ideologies,
etc. |
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Societies have conflicting values & ideologies |
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Conflicting ideologies often appear as a conflict of values |
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But many believe there is mutual causation btwn the economy
& culture |
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See Also: Economic & Cultural
Determination |
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For Marx the direction of causality is that the base determines the
superstructure while for Parsons the direction of causality is that the
superstructure determines the base |
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For Marx & many conflict theorists, the direction of causality
btwn the base & the superstructure is from the base to the superstructure,
but for Parsons & many functionalists the direction of causality is
from the superstructure to the base |
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