Two key concepts in this video are the means of production and labor. In your comment, explain how you understand the means of production and labor. Give an example of each.

Understanding the means of production and labor is the means of production are producing products and means of labor is putting work and effect into products, as Marx had put it “All those things with the aid of which man acts upon the subject of his labor, and transforms it.” An example of means of production and means of labor are machinery and tools such as construction and factories.

Another important concept in understanding social class is value. Based on the ideas presented in Video 5.1, what is value? What give “value” to value, what makes something valuable?

Value is how much labor it takes to make something under normal circumstances. What gives “value” to value is the work put into creating products. What makes something valuable is the quantity and time taken to create products.

How are labor and value related? What’s the relationship/connection between the two?

Labor and value are related and both have a connection as with labor comes value. Putting hard work and time into creating a product, builds up the value in the product. The less being done, the less value there is.

How do you understand the difference between labor and labor power? Hint: this is a key difference, give it your best shot based on what the video says about it, and your own ideas. We’ll clarify and develop it in our discussions, and in my video comments.

Understanding the difference between labor and labor power is labor power is measured in time; hours and minutes and labor is the physical work of an individual making products. The more labor times it takes to make something under normal conditions, the more valuable it is.

Surplus Value: what is it? Why is it important to know about, in our study of social classes? Think about an example of surplus value?

Surplus Value is represents unpaid labor, as capitalist profit from their workers, in which they will seek to maximize it’s growth. The number of hours of necessary labor is practically invariable at any given time. I think it is important to know about surplus value in our study of social classes because it gives more knowledge on captalism and the differences between labor and capitalism. An example of surplus value would be for example, if I were to own a fruit factory. My workers create boxes of fruit in which they are sold $150 each. I have to make profit off of the fruit being sold, in which I pay my worker 75, in which i make $75 in profit from the sell.

What is a Repressive State Apparatus? Why does Althusser call it “repressive”? Can we explain his choice of words here. Give an example.

Repressive State Apparatus is controlling an individual through the threat of violence such as police, courts, and prisons. Althusser calls it “repressive” because the state has the power force you to physically behave. This also gives them power of control over the state.

Let’s do the same for the Ideological State Apparatuses. What are they, how do they seem to work?

Ideological State Apparatuses encourages individiuals how to behave by being influenced from the media, religious groups, family, and education. They chose not to follow through with violence unlike Repressive State Apparatus.

How are Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses different from each other? What is the difference between the two?

The difference between Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses are one uses force as a primary choice versus one uses violence as a secondary choice. He questions upon why individuals continue to obey laws and not rebel against them.

An example of repressive state apparatuses:

1. What is a Repressive State Apparatus? Why does Althusser call it “repressive”? Can we explain his choice of words here. Give an example.

 
Repressive state apparatus is when the government use force to keep citizens in line and follow rules. This is also why he calls it repressive, because of the use of force in order to keep the population obedient. I think he used the word repressive because which ever country uses repressive state apparatus does not kindly ask citizens to obey the law pretty please with cherry on top instead law is enforced by saying, follow the law and live in society or break the law and you’ll be removed.

2. Let’s do the same for the Ideological State Apparatuses. What are they, how do they seem to work? 

ideological state apparatus, they use the ideologies in order to enforce law, like changing someone’s beliefs and shaping their morals and values those values often starts in a school environment. Or for adults in religious institutions like a church.

3. Post an example of ideology. This could be a piece of writing, an image, video, pdf document, visual art, or music, clip from a movie. Next to your example, specify if this is an example of repressive or ideological apparatuses at work. I’ll start us of off by giving an example.

In this clip from the critically acclaimed video game, red dead redemption 2 the main character Arthur Morgan went fishing with a little boy named Jack after that we appreciate repressive apparatus from the Pinkerton Detective agency as detective Milton and detective Ross confront Arthur Morgan, both sides get heated up and agent Milton says “you people venerate savagery and you will die savagely”

later on in the story, the Pinkerton detective agency catch up with the outlaw gang in their own camp:

in this clip the leader dutch uses ideology to justify his wicked ways, he does what he does to live. after the Pinkerton show up in (1:00) telling everyone that their way of life is coming to an end they can either get with the program and live like decent human beings or alternatively they get locked up or hanged. We also see ideology in Dutch saying “this place is no such thing as civilized it is man so in love with greed, that he has lost himself and found only appetites” Dutch critique civilization by questioning the idea that civilization represents progress which in the time this game takes place historically was a time of expansion and industrialization. He uses the word “greed” when talking about the civilized people, he says that because he argues that society only progresses by biting more than they can chew. Taking what wasn’t theirs and valuing riches over human bonds. Like the bond he has with his gang. In a way, he’s also saying that society and the outlaws have more in common than one might think.