Cultural Anthro - Karl Marx Essay -- essays research papers

&8220Where some possess much, and the others nothing, there may arise an extreme- either out of the most rampant democracy, or out of an oligarchy. This was once said by Aristotle who was probably the first to recognize the importance of a heart enlighten. A powerful debate whether the inwardness class is essentially delimit by cultural or economic factors still remains an issue. A rich tradition is devoted to disentangling economic from cultural components of a class. According to Karl Marx, the middle class is an outgrowth of economic factors, primarily capitalism. Many people tend to disagree with Marx that capitalism is the only important factor in the outgrowth of the middle class. Judith R. Blau argues that her understanding of the middle class has much to do with inclusive cultural values. Blau demonstrates her opinion though her ethnography, Social Contract and Economic Markets. I believe that Karl Marx&8217s economic factors and Judith Blau&8217s cultural factors toget her define the middle class.Karl Marx believed class was a matter of economics, that is, how the individual fits into the pattern of modern capitalistic society. Marx argued that the whole of capitalist society was constructed in order to support this idea including the society&8217s infrastructure. Marx believed that social classes arise when a group gains control of the means of production. This group to a fault has the power to maintain or increase its wealth by taking advantage of the surplus value of labor. Many people question why a worker would labor under much(prenominal) conditions. The reason is quite simple according to Marx. The reason is political and social representation. Members of this class elect representatives who pass laws that come their interests. Landlords and factory owners were able to use their control of resources to exploit the unlanded laborers in the newly emerging factories.Karl Marx looks at human societies as a whole, and asks how they reproduce t hemselves, and as a result, change. For Marx a fundamental question about any society is whether it can produce more than it needs to reproduce itself, that is, a surplus product. Karl Marx believed that the middle class is based upon economic factors and rooted in solely that perspective. Many people have examined his work closely arguing that economic factors could not possibly be the only definition o... ...tablish neighborhoods based more on life style by creating their own community. The middle class created it&8217s own social institutions, such as public University&8217s, newspapers, department stores, libraries and business clubs. This was a way that essentially defines a class. Using economic and institutional affiliations that of which requires cultural edgework defines the middle class system. The contentious debate as to whether the middle class is defined by cultural or economic factors has been supported successfully by both sides. Karl Marx states his opinion disti nctly that economic factors argon the basis of a class system. Marx explains that through a capitalist society where the means of production and social and political representation are the structure of the society. Judith Blau agrees with Marx that economic factors create a society however, cultural reasons define it. Blau explains how &8216having roots&8217 and cultural heritage shape&8217s a social class. I believe that the middle class was established by economic factors however, the diversity of people through their culture is what defines a society.