1. Using M-C-M it shows how capitalists maintain and grow their riches. It stands for Money (M) the starting point of the process, which capitalists use to purchase commodities (C) like labor and raw materials for production. Selling the finished product for a higher price is the result (M’). This means that the end money value (M’) is greater than the initial investment. This surplus value is the money made by taking advantage of the market and workers. The cycle of M-C-M’ shows the roles of production, exchange, and profit in capitalist economies by showing how capitalists continuously reinvest and increase their wealth.”

1. How I understand means of production is that it is the tools/resources needed to make a product or item for the people, and labor is the people that are working to make that product or item. An example I came up with is a producer and artist making a song. They need a studio, microphone, instruments, and computers to make a song. The producer makes the beat for the artist using the instruments and computer inside the studio for the artist, and then the artist uses the microphone and their voice and thoughts to record a song, after it’s done they submit it to the label for them to distribute it.
2. In the video, labor is defined as “how much labor it takes to produce under normal circumstances”. This in a simpler way is basically the time it takes to produce a product/item. What makes something valuable is the time that is put into a product.
3. Labor and value are connected in that the more labor its needed to put into a product the more valuable it becomes and vice versa.
4. From my understanding the difference between labor and labor power is that labor is you putting in the work to make a product/item, and labor power is you needing rest, food, and water for you to put in the labor for said product/item as without it you wouldn’t be able to do it.
5. Surplus value is the profits the laborers make that are more than their pay. For example, if I’m working for a Nike Store and I help sell $1,200 products in a day and I work 8 hours a day and get paid $18.50 an hour I’m only making $148 while the store keeps $1,052.

1. Owners and employees are different in how they relate to labor and income. Owners are the people or families who possess the wealth of the community and who frequently make their living from investments such as bonds, stocks, and income from real estate. Either by owning businesses or getting profits on their investments, they make their living off the labor of others.
   Employees, on the other hand, are those who have to work to support themselves. This group consists of managers, professionals, and employees from factories and services. Wages, salaries, and other types of costs are how employees make ends meet, and their labor is what keeps them going. An example of this is Amazon. Amazon has strict policies for its employees to the point where it’s tedious to get up every day and work for the company while its owner Jeff Bezos attends parties and even goes on space shuttles to go to outer space without a single care in the world while his employees are breaking their backs for him.
   
2. From what I understand, the quote from Adam Smith on page 28 points out that the time and labor required to produce a good is the important cause for its value. It suggests that the effort required throughout different phases of a product’s development, such as the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, advertising, and selling, determines the true value of the commodity. According to Smith, labor contribution makes up the value of goods as money only acts as a simple representation of those prices.
   
3. My thoughts on Reading 4.4’s argument that class isn’t an identity is that I agree that socioeconomic guidelines shouldn’t be used to restrict class to a single identity. To me, a person’s identity is more diverse and complicated than a social standing based on money, status, or education. The emphasis on accepting a person’s character over social divisions is something I enjoy because it shares my own beliefs about how important it is to take into account each person’s uniqueness. I agree with the author that identity goes far beyond social categories and should be recognized for its complexity and diversity.
   
4. The argument made in Reading 4.4 that “class structures are built around a close form of dependency” can be supported using an example like the actor/ writer strikes from July-November 2023. In the entertainment industry, major production companies or studios owned by the capitalist class employ actors and writers representing the working class. The productions were put on hold when writers/actors went on strike, and when studios were at risk of losing profit, actors/writers were at risk of getting evicted from their homes or not being able to get the basic necessities due to not having a job. This shows a strong connection between those who provide labor and those who control the means of production. This shows the power dynamics and economic connections linked to class structures, showing how dependency significantly influences both sides of the class divide.

1. Some similarities I noticed in the readings of 4.1 and 4.2 are how race and region affect income. I mention this because if you’re from NYC or have lived in NYC for a couple of years now, you’d notice that the subways stop with the highest income are usually predominately white Americans and urban areas, while the places with the lowest or average income are usually POC’s and rural neighborhoods.
2. I live in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and using the map in 4.2, I am a little shocked. The reason I’m shocked is because I know that my family’s salary is below what is reported, and how we live and how our home functions made me think that other people in the neighborhood experience the same, but realizing looking from a different perspective I can see how this is true. As I been into plenty of my friends home and realize they live pretty well and seeing nice cars on the block.
3. I do notice a general pattern in 4.2 as plenty of trains that are coming from Brooklyn or The Bronx, are usually lower-working class and once it goes into the city (Manhattan) it rises to upper-middle class to upper class.

1. A repressive state apparatus is a social system that uses force and control to keep people in line. The reason Althusser calls it “repressive” is that it depends on authority and power to enforce laws, even if it means resorting to violence. For instance, the police act as a Repressive State Apparatus when they use force to put an end to protests because they are using their position of power to enforce control and fear on citizens.
2. Ideological State Apparatuses are societal institutions that shape people’s ideas, values, and behaviors to maintain the current social structure. They include institutions like educational institutions, places of worship, the media, and political parties. By using socialization, advertising, and education to promote and strengthen the current ideology, Ideology State Apparatuses carry out their goal.
3. Repressive State Apparatuses, like the police and military, use physical coercion and force to maintain authority through fear. Schools and the media are examples of ideological state apparatuses that influence values and beliefs to promote the world’s current view. Ideological state apparatuses use persuasion to influence attitudes and behaviors, while repressive state apparatuses use violence to guarantee enforcement. Together, they maintain the social structures of power that are currently in place.
4. An example of an ideological state apparatus is Mayor Adams wanting to ban drill rap in NYC. Drill rap is a subgenre of rap that’s a more aggressive and violent form of rap. Usually, it’s more violent and aggressive because of their upbringing. He proposes that drill rap brings more violence to the city whereas there was always violence in the city even before drill rap was publicized. https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-drill-rap-music-1235030678/

1.

1a) Ideology refers to the beliefs, values, and ideas that shape how people think of and understand the world around them. It influences how people think, behave, and interact within society, usually supporting the way things are and how people usually act and share power in a group

1b) An example of this can be seen in the education system, in school, kids are taught to follow rules, listen to teachers, and do well in their studies, and if they don’t follow the rules they face consequences such as going to detention. As they grow up, these ideas stick with them and influence how they see and interact with the world.

1c) Besides influencing people’s views and behaviors, ideology plays an essential role in maintaining the status quo in society. It is frequently used by those in power to protect and uphold the social, political, and economic systems that are in place. Ideology is passed on and internalized by the general public through institutions like the government, media, and the educational system, influencing how people view the world and themselves.

2. Conservatives in US politics favor less government intervention and have a strong emphasis on individual accountability and free markets. For example, they could make the case for easing corporate rules to boost economic expansion. They support a strong national defense as well. Liberals, on the other hand, support laws that protect the environment and consumers, as well as progressive taxes, as ways for the government to fight inequality in society. They support social initiatives like healthcare and education that are supported by the government. Liberals might, for example, support increasing the minimum wage to lower income disparity and raise workers’ standards of living. The main difference between
conservatives and liberals are that the conservatives place more importance on individual liberties, while liberals place more emphasis on social welfare and government intervention to address issues in society.

3. According to Louis Althusser, ideology is a set of beliefs that influences a person’s perspective on the world. It’s more than just ideas, it’s a system that influences views and behaviors through institutions. For example, the media is a powerful ideological tool that promotes current social views by influencing views through news, entertainment, and advertising.

1-The reason why southern racist politicians chose to mask their defense of racial segregation through “law and order” is because they didn’t want to violate the law. The advantages of this were that it gave them a reason to call out civil rights activists by saying they were causing “civil disobedience” whenever there was a protest going on.

2- Yes I do think the Southern strategy is still influencing politics to this day because, during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign run, he mostly appealed to the South by often talking negatively about minorities specifically Mexicans and Muslims even potentially banning Muslims from entering the country and even proposing that there should be surveillance in mosques, Muslims place of worship. Even after these racial remarks he still won the election primarily due to the South as they make up a majority of the population

1-The main explanation for why many people are getting sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong because the US needed support for the war going on in Nicaragua. As Alexander stated in the excerpt “The Reagan Administration hired staff to publicize the emergence of crack cocaine in 1985 as part of a strategic effort to build public and legislative support for the war. The media campaign was an extraordinary success.”

2- The reason why racial disparities in the rates of incarceration cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes is that people of every race use and sell drugs at the same rate but the white youth is more likely to have the intent to sell, but since 1985 the media has been pushing the narrative that the black community are the main sources of illegal drugs so they’re more likely to get arrested.

3- To my understanding the phrase means that the government has the power to influence society to follow its laws and shows the punishment of what happens if you don’t. It also pushes out negative stereotypes of minorities so you know who to look for.