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.
   1. I understand the means of production to be the resources that we use to create and produce goods and services, and those goods are sold to make a profit for business or corporations. Labor increases the value of the goods that are produced. In the video he states that labor “is measured in time, hours, and minutes”, the more time and labor it takes to make something the more valuable it is. When using automatic equipment to create some the value decreases because it would take less time to create the product. An example of means of production and labor is high fashion clothing brands that use physical labor that might take hours to make, package the products, and sell them at very high prices. And those who are needed for this type of labor might go to school for fashion design technology school which can take two to four years of training, for some it’s a talent they was passed down from generations.
2. 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? 
   1. Value is the amount of labor that it takes to produce products and the value doesn’t decrease in the time that it takes to produce the product. How much time it takes to produce a certain product under normal circumstances is what gives “value” value.
3. How are labor and value related? What’s the relationship/connection between the two?
   1. Labor and value are related in that the amount of time and training put into producing goods the more valuable that product is. The connection between the two is that labor is the source of value and the value of goods is the amount of labor that it takes to make those goods.
4. 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.
   1. The difference between labor and labor power is, labor power exposes the amount of value not only in the individual conducting the labor but the materials included and the amount of time fully included in doing that work. Labor power is what works sells in exchange for a wage and gives worker more power in who they sell their labor power to. Labor is the work that is being done by humans to produce goods in which a society is contingent on.
5. 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?
   1. The surplus value in its chore essence is just the amount of profit a company makes off of your labor, workers provide value through labor and goods produced. It’s important to know surplus value in social classes because capitalist use exploitation and appropriate to get more labor and under value their workers. Capitalist make more economic profits and the exchange of work and time put into producing goods doesn’t equal the wages that is received. The worker sells their labor power for a wage to be able to buy other goods that is produced as a means of necessity. So the worker is not making a profit but the capitalist is.

Explain M-C-M’ to show how capitalists maintain and increase their wealth.

In Pierre Jalee’s “How Capitalism Works” M (Money) -C (Commodity)-M (Money), he states “the formula M-C-M must thus be regarded as the general formula of capital.” M-C-M is a cycle where money is needed to by commodity to establish more money. An example of M-C-M are those who own multiple homes as an investments and rent them out for more than what the monthly mortgage is asking to make a larger profit. The last M in M-C-M is the excess profit and is the surplus value that capitalist make, it is of greater value the M. The capitalist buys the labor power from the worker at its value and pays the worker a wage. The capitalist sells the goods produced by the labor for more than its original value. The worker who has to work longer hours to “create a value equal to that of his or her daily requirement”, makes value for themselves and then a surplus value for the capitalist.

What is the distinction that Reading 4.3 makes between owners and employees? Give an example of each.

1. The distinction that Reading 4.3 makes between owners and employees are, owners ” owning class live off of investments like stock, bonds, rent from the working class, and royalties to name a few. Owners make their money from the labor of other people and crush any competition from small business. Employees which are called “workers” in Reading 4.3 are those who live off of wages and salaries. Workers executives and managers also pull value from other workers to get a high level performance to add more or keep profit moving for owners. And example of an Owners is someone like Mark Cuban who is apart of the 1%, and an example of a worker is the basketball players who work in his team the Dallas Mavericks.

How do you understand the quote by Adam Smith on pg. 28? What is it saying about labor?

1. Adam Smith states on pg 28 “labor…is alone the ultimate and real standard by which the value of all commodities can at all times and place be estimated and compared. It is their real price; money is their normal price only”. I understand this quote to mean that the value of services and products is determined by the labor it has t produce the product and services. Labor is the real value and the more labor the more value comes from the product.

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?

1. The close form of dependency means that the worker is dependent on the capitalist, firm, cooperation, or job. The capitalist, firm, cooperation, and job is dependent on the worker in order to keep the on going exploration of its workers and the labor to maintain the position. An example of close form dependency is a large cooperation like Macy’s who has thousands of worker and brings in billion in revenue only to pay a lot of their workers minimum wage.

What are your thoughts on the main argument of Reading 4.4 that class is NOT an identity?

1. I do not agree with the reading that class is not an identity. I believe that class along with other life attributes like religion and race do determine identity. Those who come from working class families have different privileges opposed to those who are considered upper class and are shaped different. Access to basic life necessities are harder to get and they are dependent on big corporations.

1. Do you notice any similarities in the way social class is discussed in readings 4.1 and 4.2? Do you notice any differences in the way these two readings DIFFERENTIATE between social classes?
   1. What Determines How Americans Perceive Their Social Class and The NewYorkers Idea of The Week: Inequality And New York’s Subway has noticeable similarities. Those living in rural areas less likely to identify themselves as in the higher social class as opposed to those living in urban and city locations. The geographic location is essential in identifying where individuals places themselves in social class. In Reading 4.2 it gives data based on individual subway lines and those who live in Manhattan have an income that is higher compared to those living in more urban and suburban locations which show low income to middle class once subway lines start moving out of Manhattan.
   2. Reading 4.1 and Readings 4.2 are different in that Reading 4.1 describes self identification in social classes, how Americans place them selfs when it comes to their geographic location. In Reading 4.2 it pinpoints New York City’s inequality problem by geographic area. It is also is using data from the Census Bureau which gives a wider range of data of all states where as Reading 4.1 give less data.
2. Pick the station closest to where you live. Using the concepts from Reading 4.1, what social class tends to live in your neighborhood? Are you surprised (or not) by the answer? Do you feel it is an accurate representation of the people living in your neighborhood?
   1. The closet station that I live by is the L subway line which goes from Manhattan 14 street and 8th ave to the last stop of Rockaway parkway which is considered Canarsie. I definitely was surprised because I would place families living in that location as upper middle class especially in certain areas where there is a lot of private houses and a lot of people are homeowners. As I look at the data and the year it was published, I do believe it is an accurate representation, I also believe that if that data was done today the income would be a somewhat different in that the median income would be less due to the pandemic.
3. Based on Reading 4.2, do you notice a general pattern about social classes in NYC?
   1. The general pattern that was noticed in reading 4.2 is the subway lines that go through Manhattan where so many large cooperate companies are and where most people work have an income that is relatively higher, and when you start going through more urban communities the median income starts going down, then it starts going up again as the subway lines starts moving away from urban locations to more suburban locations. It goes up a little over the $50,000 median household income and doesn’t surpass the hundred thousand median income unless you live closer to Manhattan.

1. Repressive State Apparatus controls people by fear and violence and favors the ruling class. Repressive State Apparatus is implemented by the prisons, courts, police, and the government. Althusser calls it “repressive” because those under the ruling class are controlled fear or violence therefor repressing them. An example if Repressive Sate Apparatus is the government making laws that are more lenient against white-collar crimes opposed to nonviolent low level crimes. Another example was laws against interracial marriage in the 1950’s.
2. Ideological State Apparatuses s per the video prevents change to the status quo. This uses other ways to control the society that doesn’t include fear and violence. This includes politics, schools, churches, and the mass media. An example of Ideological State Apparatuses is following the biblical word of the commandments word for word and if you don’t you are sinning and wont make it to heaven, this keeps people obedient. Another example is political, you’re given a choice but are limited by those choices.

3. Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses are different from each other because one functions on violence and dominates intuitions by using other systems like police and presents to keep society at bay while the other functions on ideology. Repressive State Apparatuses operates on fear and then ideology whereas Ideological State Apparatuses operates on visualize their place in society and then by fear.

This is an image that represents ideological State Apparatus.

1. Ideology is a structure of ideas and values of a certain movement, traditions, principles, and a group of people. There are political ideologies, religious ideologies, economic ideologies, and more. An example can be socialism, democracy, capitalism, and more . Another example that is a major ideology is progressivism which is the philosophy of believing in economic and social equality for those who have been marginalized. I understand ideology to include an array of ideas that builds individual belief. When an individual identifies with a certain belief it becomes apart of their life and daily rhetoric.
2. Conservative and Liberal ideology are different in ideas. Conservative ideology consist of ideas and values that conserves traditional and social practices. Liberal ideology consist of ideas and values that protect personal freedom and liberty. An example of conservative ideology is those who believe in pro life. These individuals do not believe in aborting a baby and also believe that life start as early as conception. An example of liberal Ideology is the right to due process. When an individual should be notified during an arrest of the crimes they are being arrested for.
3.  I understand Althusser’s definition of ideology as ideas that manifests itself through actions. Althusser’s believes that ideology is used to execute power in society. Ideology isn’t good or just bad. The government imposes its ideas, rule, and power to control society.

1. Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order” because they did not agree with integration. In order to mobilize the white opposition, politicians and law-enforcement used “law and order” to counteract the civil rights movement. With the use of “law and order” southern politician and law-enforcement were able to use this language to appease to those who were against the Civil Rights Movement and used civil disobedient as the leading cause of crime in conjunction with the number of protest. Many southern politicians also used integration as a leading cause to the high rates of crime and compared the southern crime rates to the northern crime rates in the U.S.

1. I do believe that the Southern Strategy it’s still influencing American politics. Even today mass incarceration is still an issue and people of color are still being incarcerated at a higher rate than their white counterparts, especially when it comes to non-violent crimes. Also politicians have used fear to tuck at the anxiety of white supporters in the south and suburban communities. They have done this by using certain rhetoric that criticizes movements against injustices and used certain languages to label them as criminals. For example the Black Lives Matter Movement protested in many states and countries against police brutality and the numerous killings of people of color by law enforcement, they were called terrorist and criminals. Those who attacked the nations capital were labeled as heroes and Americans who were fighting for their freedom. Another example is when then President Trump used the rhetoric that if not elected for a 2nd term, suburban communities will be flooded with low income housing, and the media has shown through out the years that most people who live in low income housing or poor people of color who come from communities where there is a high crime rate.

1. 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 backup her point. (see p. 1-2)

In the text M. Alexander explains that the war on drugs and the law and order movement that targeted drug and non violent offenders was an explanation as to why people are sent to jail in the U.S. In the text m. Alexander states that the war on drugs was launched in response to crack cocaine and it was officially announced by Ronald Reagan in 1982. She also credits the media for the images of “crack babies”, “crack whores”, and “crack dealers” in helping perpetuating the racial stereotypes thus helping to catapult the War on Drugs in poor black communities.

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

Racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drugs crimes” because as M. Alexander states the war on drugs started in 1982 and crack cocaine did not start emerging in boor black communities until after the war on drugs was declared. The rates of incarcerations should be traced back to the law and order movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

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

I understand this phrase to mean that In America the penal system has emerged as a way to control minorities by labeling them as criminals as they go through a system that sets them up to fail compared to other countries who may have the higher rate of crimes but there rate of incarceration is far less.