1. The finding is that the wealth imbalance in the United States persists in expanding. The affluent families have a ton of acquisitions and have employed the low-income families as subordinate workers, paying them wages and salaries; this measure impresses me. The wages support the poor meet their day-to-day needs, including fundamental ones. But I am also curious about what drives low-income families to persist in getting poor and rich. I suppose the low-income families could use the little that they have to start their investments hence curbing the cases of monopoly in the market and be in a rank to evade enormous consequences created by inflation and regularize the unequal allotment of income into a favorable condition.

2. The existence of society with colossal wealth inequality is facilitated by measures that incomparable favor the top families, including the availability of market strategies that favor affluent families. Such a society encounters cases of unequal distribution of income and capital. For instance, low-income families are paid meager wages and salaries for labor power. Some affluent families also invest in abroad countries instead of building their country. Wealth inequality is deemed in every life in our community since affluent families mistreat the poor as they gain more wealth (JaléeP, 1977). For instance, some government policy, including taxation on a consumer product, deprives the poor of purchasing power. However, affluent families do not feel the effects; instead, they benefit via higher profits from investments.

1. 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.

• To my understanding Means of production refers to the materials, tools and other instruments used by workers to produce products. Labor is the amount of physical, mental, and social effort used to produce goods and services for money. For example, when it comes to a car dying in order to change it the means of production will be like the tools, the spray to make the screws come out easier and the new battery it self. while the labor is actually doing the job in unscrewing out the screws and placing the battery back in. labor Is practically your time doing the job using the means of production.

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? 

• Karl Marx says that value is the amount of labor expended on the manufacture of an item under normal circumstances. The more labor done, the value increases. The less labor? it wouldn’t be as much. Just like he said ” Time Is Money”.

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

• well in my opinion labor and value are related because I feel like value is based on labor. for example, if any machinery is used to help do a job the value is less compared to a labor worker doing it hands on because of time. its like buying a car with so many upgrades, if you were to see the same car with no upgrades it wouldn’t be the same time due to the time consumed in laboring the upgraded car.

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.

• labor is the job that is done to produce a product while labor power it self is the ability to be able to do the work

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?

• in my opinion surplus value is the profit your job earns from all your work. you should be getting paid more yet getting paid the wage, while the rest of your money goes to your Bosses. it is important to know about surplus value because sometimes we shouldn’t overdo ourselves for jobs knowing that we are getting paid less than what we deserve. sometimes its enough for us but we know we can get more

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

The Repressive State Apparatus consists of the higher authorities: the army, the police, and the prison system. So basically it’s the act of persuading someone to do something unwillingly through force or threat. Althusser calls it “ repressive” because its acted on violence. Repressive meaning restricting the freedom of an individual or group.

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

The ideological state apparatuses works according to ideology. This is guaranteed by  the ruling class ideology. The ISA prevents changes to the status quo, which includes schools, politics and the mass media. ISA uses calmer ways to accomplish what they need done instead of using violence. 

3. Important: this question will appear on our exam: How are the Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses different from each other? What is the difference between the two?

The difference between the two is that the ideological state apparatuses works by ideology and the repressive state apparatuses works using violence. As the RSA takes more of a threatening and forceful approach, the ISA is calmer.

4. 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. 

This is an example of repressive state apparatuses. Instead of the police trying to figure out whats going on in a calm manner, he threatens and aggressively approaches these people 

describe how you understand ideology in your own words

Based on the video, I interpreted that political ideology basically are different sets of beliefs in politics that explains what rules society should follow or how they should be. To further explain ideology are basically groups of people who agree on a certain belief. For example, socialism ideology focuses more on a society that creates wealth. 

How do you understand the difference between conservative and liberal ideology in US politics? What seem to be the big differences, the dividing line? Given an example to backup your arguments.

There are a lot of major differences between liberalism and conservative ideology in politics. Conservatives believe that a large government puts individual liberties in danger. Liberals believe in individual rights and that the government should protect their individuals. While conservatives have values that conserve traditional and social practices, liberals values believe in equality and defends an individual’s freedom and liberty. 

I understand Althusser’s definition of ideology as how the government/society creates values or beliefs that we tend to subconsciously follow and believe.

Why do think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order”? What special advantages was this choice of words going to give them?

– The primary objective of Southern racist politicians was mainly to gain access to more facilities and social amenities than African Americans and people of color. They used the language of law and order since the Jim Crow laws had not been enacted in the South. Therefore, this made it easier for them to carry out activities and provide services based on race. They had the advantage of having access to better facilities than African Americans. Through this racial segregation, the whites had access to better facilities such as schools, hospitals, education, and jobs.

Do you think the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics? Give an example supporting your answer.

-In my opinion, I believe that the southern strategy is still influencing American politics due to many people of color still being treated unfairly for how they look. For example, the BLM movement, people of color were being bashed and getting called so many things just because they were protecting their people due to police brutality. Society tends to think that just because people have color they are so different from the rest of us so they get discriminated.

M. Alexander claims that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today is deeply wrong. Explain her argument by referring to the various examples she mentions to back up her point. (see p. 1-2)

-In her book, Michelle Alexander discusses the United States criminal law system and how it has led to the mass incarceration of individuals, especially people of color. According to Alexander, why so many people are imprisoned is wrong and has nothing to do with the type of crimes they commit. She states that arrests were made on a racial basis. At the same time, campaigns started by the justice system in the United States, such as the War on Drugs, were aimed at reducing and eradicating other races from the country (Alexander, 2010). Studies have shown that the US has the largest prison population in the world, with more than 2 million individuals.

Why is it that racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes”?

-The rate of drug crimes in the United States cannot explain the racial disparities encountered in rising incarceration rates. It can be attributed to the use of drugs and by a particular race, such as black Americans, who are leading the charts in drug crimes. Therefore, due to the unevenness in drug use and trafficking, there seems to have unequal distribution of drug-related convicts from different races.

How do you understand the phrase: “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.”?

-The current American justice system has been identified as a social control system since it controls the evils and crimes of modernity. The US penal system has emerged as one of the most rigid systems in the world due to its strict laws and policies. It has helped it acquire recognition as a modern system that controls social crimes compared to historical justice systems.