1. What is the distinction that Reading 4.3 makes between owners and employees? Give an example of each.
  2. How do you understand the quote by Adam Smith on pg. 28? What is it saying about labor?
  3. What are your thoughts on the main argument of Reading 4.4 that class is NOT an identity?
  4. How do you understand the argument Reading 4.4. makes when stating that “class structures are built around a close form of dependency”? What is this close form of dependency, and can you think of an example?

10 thoughts on “Discussion Board 4.2”

  1. 1. Reading 4.3 explains that owners make money mainly from investments and the labor of others, while employees earn wages by working. For example, the CEO of Amazon represents the owning class, while warehouse workers represent employees.

    2. Adam Smith is saying that labor is the real source of value in society. Basically, nothing has worth until someone’s work like cutting wood or building furniture turns it into something useful.

    3. I agree with the idea that class isn’t just about how people see themselves. It’s more about where you stand in the economy like whether you own businesses or have to work for a paycheck.

    4. It means that owners and workers depend on each other, but not equally. Owners need workers to make profit and workers need jobs to survive. A clear example is restaurants owners depend on staff to run the place and employees depend on their wages but the owners still hold the power.

    1. Hi Dwayne! I think you explained your points clearly. I especially liked how you used the Amazon example for owners and workers, that made the distinction easy to understand. I also agree with what you said about Adam Smith, labor really is what gives value to everything. And your point about class not just being about identity but about where you stand in the economy makes a lot of sense. The restaurant example you gave also shows the unequal dependency well.

    2. Hi Dwayne,

      I really like how you explained the difference between owners and workers using the Amazon example—it made the point very clear. I also agree with your explanation of Adam Smith’s idea that labor is what truly creates value. Nothing has meaning until someone puts in the work to make it useful.

      I also thought your point about class being tied to where you stand in the economy was strong. The way you connected it to the idea that owners and workers depend on each other, but not equally, was really insightful. The restaurant example showed that perfectly. Great job!

  2. 1. The distinction between owners and employees is rooted in who controls wealth and how they make their living. Owners, also known as the capitalist class, live off the wealth they already possess. They do not have to work for wages because they own valuable resources that generate income for them. This wealth can take many forms, such as real estate, factories, corporations, large businesses, or significant amounts of stock and financial assets. Owners gain profit not through their own labor, but from the labor of their employees. For example, the owner of a chain of apartment buildings can collect rent each month, earning money simply by holding property rather than working a regular job.

    Employees, by contrast, belong to the working class. They lack ownership of wealth and therefore cannot survive without finding a job. Because they do not own factories, land, or large businesses, they must sell their labor to an owner in exchange for wages. This makes them dependent on employers for survival. For example, a cashier working at Walmart or a nurse in a hospital must work long hours to earn enough money to meet their basic needs like food, rent, transportation and other necessities.

    2. Adam Smith’s quote emphasizes the central role of human labor in creating goods and services. The way I understand it, Smith is pointing out that labor is the most essential and valuable element behind any product we use or consume. Without the effort of workers, nothing could be produced, no food, clothing, housing, or tools. Labor is what transforms raw materials into useful commodities that sustain our lives. Because of this, the true cost of any good ultimately comes down to the amount of human labor that went into making it.

    For Smith, the “nominal price” of a commodity, what we pay for it in money is only a surface reflection of its deeper value, which lies in the labor required to produce it. For example, when we buy a loaf of bread, we are not just paying for the flour or the oven. We are paying for the farmer’s work in growing wheat, the miller’s work in grinding it, the baker’s effort in baking, and even the transportation workers who deliver it. All that labor is what gives the bread its value.

    In short, Smith’s quote highlights that human labor is the foundation of wealth and the most important cost behind every good we consume.

    3. My thoughts on the main argument of reading 4.4, that class is not an identity, is that I agree with it. While people sometimes describe themselves as working class or middle class, the reading makes clear that class is not just another category of identity like race or gender. Instead, class is a structural relationship based on who owns resources and who must work to survive. This makes class fundamentally different from other forms of identity, because it is tied to power, dependency, and exploitation, not simply to culture or lifestyle.

    This distinction is important because if class were treated only as an identity, then addressing it might mean little more than recognition or representation. But class struggles involve deeper conflicts. Workers and capitalists depend on each other in unequal ways: capitalists rely on workers to generate profit, while workers rely on capitalists for wages. For example, when teachers go on strike, they are not just expressing an identity as teachers. They are using their position as workers to push back against the power of administrators and politicians who control their pay and working conditions.

    Overall, the argument makes sense to me. Class is not simply about who we are, it is about structures of power that shape society itself.

    4. Reading 4.4 says that “class structures are built around a close form of dependency,” and I take that to mean workers and owners rely on each other, but not in the same way. Workers need jobs from owners because they don’t have enough wealth or property to survive on their own. They must sell their labor to pay for food, rent, and other needs. Owners, or capitalists, depend on workers to actually produce the goods and services that bring in profit. Without workers, their businesses can’t function. This creates a relationship that is both dependent and full of conflict, since workers want fair pay and good conditions while owners want to cut costs to increase profit.

    A clear example of this dependency is fast food workers. Restaurants like McDonald’s depend completely on workers to cook, serve, and clean. If employees walk out, even for a day, the business cannot operate. At the same time, those same workers depend on the job for their paycheck, even if the wages are low. This shows the close dependency the reading talks about both sides need each other, but workers are always at a disadvantage because they can’t live without work, while owners can live off their wealth.

    1. I agree with your points, especially about the close dependency between workers and owners. Your fast food example really shows how both sides rely on each other, but workers are at a disadvantage. I also like how you connected it to Adam Smith’s idea that labor creates value. It makes clear that class is about power and survival, not just identity.

  3. 1. Reading 4.3 explains that owners and employees live in very different ways. Owners make their money mainly from investments and from the work that other people do for them, such as earning profits from stocks, rents, or businesses they control. For example, someone who owns a chain of restaurants and makes money from the workers running them is part of the owning class. Employees, on the other hand, live by selling their labor and receiving wages or salaries. A nurse, cashier, or construction worker who earns a paycheck is part of the employee class. This shows the clear divide between those who profit from ownership and those who work for a living.

    2.Adam Smith’s quote is saying that the real value of something comes from the work people put into it, not just the money it can be sold for. Money is only a way to measure or trade value, but it does not actually create value itself. What makes a product valuable is the labor the effort and skill of the people who produce it. In other words, labor is the true source of wealth. This idea highlights how important work is in creating goods and services that society needs, and it shows that without labor, things by themselves would not have much value.

    3. Reading 4.4 explains that class is not the same as other identities like race or gender. It says that class is really about the way power and money are organized in society. People in different classes have different levels of control over resources and work. For example, some people own businesses or land and can make money from the work of others, while other people do not have that choice and must work for a living. This shows that class is about relationships and the economy, not just how someone feels or what group they belong to. I think this makes a lot of sense because if we only think of class as an identity, we could forget that it is also about who has power, who makes decisions, and who benefits from other people’s work.

    4. Reading 4.4 says that “class structures are built around a close form of dependency,” which means that the relationship between workers and owners is very connected and dependent on each other. Workers rely on owners or companies because they need jobs to earn money for food, housing, and other needs. Without these jobs, workers would not have a way to survive. At the same time, owners or capitalists rely on workers because they need their labor to produce goods or provide services that make the company money. This kind of relationship is different from other types of social hierarchies, like race or gender, because it is based on economic dependence rather than identity or social status alone. For example, at Amazon, workers depend on the company to have a steady paycheck and benefits. But Amazon also depends on its workers like warehouse staff and delivery drivers because without them, products would not be shipped, and the company could not make profits. If workers go on strike or stop working, it becomes very clear how much the company depends on the labor of its workers. This shows that class is not just about having more or less money; it is about a system where each side needs the other to keep the whole economic system running.

  4. 1.) The reading says owners make money from what other people do and employees make money from their own work. For example, an owner could be someone who owns an apartment building makes money from tenants paying rent and an employee could be a tenant who works as a cashier depending on hourly wages.

    2.) To me, the quote is saying that all value comes from people’s work. Labor is what creates wealth, but workers usually don’t get to keep everything they produce. A lot of it goes to the boss or owner.

    3.) I think this means class isn’t just who you are like your race or gender. It’s more about where you stand in the economy, like if you rely on wages or if you own things that make money for you. I agree because people can move up or down in class, but it still affects your life and how people see themselves.

    4.) This means workers and owners depend on each other, but not equally. Workers need jobs to survive and owners need workers to make profits. For example, a restaurant owner needs servers and servers need the restaurant to pay their bills.

    1. Hey Jasmin,
      I like how you explained the difference between owners and workers with the apartment and restaurant examples. It makes the idea really easy to understand. I also agree with your point that all value comes from labor, but workers don’t get to keep everything they create since much of it goes to the owner. I thought it was interesting how you mentioned that class isn’t just about race or gender but where you stand in the economy. That really shows how complex class can be. I also like how you ended with the idea that workers and owners depend on each other, even if not equally. It’s a very realistic way to put it.

Leave a Reply