Capitalists maintain and increase their wealth by using M-C-M. One should know that the terms Commodity ( C ) and Money ( M ) are M-C-M which is a process where M stands for the transformation of money, C stands for the transformation into commodities and lastly, the second M defines the change of commodities back into money which is then the changed value. M’ is more significant than just M independently. M’ is defined as M plus m, where m is typically called the gain or profit, which is referred to as surplus value. Wealthy people remain wealthy as a class because of the way money is transformed into capital. Thus, surplus value capitalists can not survive without making their interests to seek to increase it by either playing on relative or absolute surplus value which is how they remain wealthy as a class.

1. If I would explain the means of production, I would explain it as to create or produce a product that will benefit the person who is producing. Productions are made, for example, the video that the narrator in the video created is considered a product because he created the video. Labor is the only that can increase the value of what an individual has. For example, if an individual buys a book and does nothing with it, its value will remain constant. But if individual labor to carve that wood into a chair, then the individual will increase its value.

2. Based on the ideas presented in video 5.1, value is the worth of a product. The speaker in the video talked about how when an individual buys a block of wood and does not do anything with it, its value will not change and will stay constant. Until the individual carves the wood to make a chair for example, then its value (worth) will increase because the individual took their time and effort into making the wooden chair. 

3. Labor and value are both related because when an individual spends a longer amount of time producing a product, then its value will increase. Hence, that is why artists sell their paintings for an expensive amount of money because they put all their effort and time into making the paintings. Labor is when humans work and value is the worth of the goods that the humans are creating. 

4. Labor is defined as when humans work to produce goods that they can sell. Labor power when applied increases the value of what the individual has. Labor power is found only in individuals, and when they work, they rent out their labor power for the day. So, labor and labor power are different because labor requires the amount of time the individual takes, unlike labor power, where the work is getting sold.

5. Surplus value is the excess of value that is produced by the labor of workers over the wages they are paid. To clarify, surplus value is the difference between the amount raised through a sale of a product and the amount the boss of the workplace will make the product cost. It is important that we know about the surplus value in our study of social classes so that we know that the workers and the boss are not getting an equal amount of money. The boss is mainly in the higher class and the worker is in the much lower class.

1. The distinction that reading 4.3 makes between owners and employees is blurred somewhat by the range of payments within both classes. For example, an owner is looked upon as they are wealthy because they own the business, but an employee is looked at as they needed assistance therefore, they came to work with this business. It seems as if the owner is much superior to the employee because the owner owns the business and the employee is here to work. One similarity both parties have is that they still earn money but are not exactly the same. I also believe that they both have to pay taxes which makes it a similarity for both the owner and the employee. 

2. The quote that Adam Smith stated “labor … is alone the ultimate and real standard by which the value of all commodities can at all times and places be estimated and compared. It is their real price; money is their nominal price only.” (pg.28). From what I understand, I believe that Adam Smith is saying that when someone gets lucky to have the job that is giving them wealth, they should start a business and have employees work for them so that the employees can have a chance to taste the business wealth and to also help them. I also believe that what Adam Smith was saying he meant to cut down big businesses and create small businesses so that they can be useful. 

3. My thoughts on the main argument of reading 4.4 that class is not an identity are agreeable. I definitely agree that class is not an identity but of course, society draws it to be. For example when the author of reading 4.4 stated ‘by treating the class as just another identity—and holding that no identity plays any special role in structuring the distribution of power in society.” (ph 11). I noticed that the author made a point in the previous quote because when class is being defined as an identity, then people think that identity should define what kind of their social position should be economical and that is extremely wrong in my opinion. For instance, there can be white people who are wealthy and then black people that barely have any money. Then as exploring, we find a black group of people who are rich and a white group of people who are homeless, this will lead everyone to acknowledge that class does not have an identity.  It also had to do with whether they are in the LGBTQ group, and so much more. 

4. I understood the argument in reading 4.4 which stated that “class structures are built around a close form of dependency” I believe that this quote meant that for example, white people have their own class and blacks have their own class. So, therefore, this makes whoever is rich depend on each other. For instance, if the whites are much wealthier then, they will look at themselves as they have power over the low class.

1. In reading 4.1, the way that it is discussed is by defining the term “social class” as commonly used in American culture but not understood. The reading digs deeper into defining the term “social class” as a hierarchy in society from low to high, based on income, wealth, power, culture, behavior, heritage, and prestige. The reading also explains how there is a social class in education and household income that determines the individual’s social class status. After I read the 4.2 reading, I noticed that there were some similarities that were compared to reading 4.1. One similarity I noticed was the way income was used to separate the low, middle, and upper classes. A difference that I encountered in both of the readings was the way each graph was created. For example, reading 4.1 shows the amount of income each class represented. However, in reading 4.2, it was displayed as a line in which we had to press on the point where we went to view the income of that specific location. Where ever the individual lives, their income, and social class status will differ because of their neighborhood placement and because each neighborhood has a different social class. 

2. The station that is near where I live is the J train station. The social class that tends to live in my neighborhood is the middle class which is $75-$99k. I’m surprised because I always thought that I lived in a rich neighborhood because there are not as much homeless in my neighborhood as there are in parts of the Bronx and Brooklyn. I believe that my neighborhood is the most diverse neighborhood because the people living there and who work are mostly Arabs, Hispanics, Asians and so much more. I definitely would consider my neighbors decent in the middle class. My neighborhood is not considered to be in a rich or poor location. To conclude, my neighborhood is in the middle class. 

3. Based on reading 4.2, I noticed that there is a general pattern of social classes in NYC which is in Manhattan it seems as if the location Chambers st is wealthier than the other locations.

1. Repressive State Apparatuses use ways other than physical brutality to reach the same goals as Repressive State Apparatus. Althusser calls it “repressive” because it consists of the army, the police, the judiciary, and the prison system. The video defines Repressive Apparatus as “which controls you through the threat of violence including police, courts, and prisons. But fear is not the primary motivator in most of our lives.” (5:15-5:25). For example, the army and the police represent and define repressive apparatus. 

2. Ideological State Apparatuses functions by ideology. It is also ensured by the ruling ideology, the ideology of the ruling class.  The video states that “Ideological State Apparatusesprevent change to the status quo and include schools, politics, and the mass media.”(5:44-5:53). 

3. The Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses are different from each other because repressive functions by violence but ideological does not, it functions by ideology. 

4. For example, culture is consistently covered up in ideology which means that there is always beliefs and conducts that identify predictable outcome when culture grows in an organization. I believe that culture is an ideological state apparatus. 

1. In my opinion, ideology is a group of ideas and beliefs that are shared by a group of people. To elaborate, an individual can be part of democracy, for example, therefore, they will listen to the collection of ideas about democracy. I see the term ideology as a belief system where different people have a say on what they believe. Also, I consider ideology to be a concept where I think people exercise the highest power over the country. I understand ideology as one’s ideas and beliefs. For example, I can believe in the term democracy, therefore, I will continue searching for and exercising the utmost authority over government policies and governance.

2. As I read the reading, I came across some terms such as conservative, liberal, and other many terms. In this particular space, I will discuss what is the difference between the two ideologies conservative and liberal. As one should know, conservative ideology is when the individual has the freedom and contains human dignity. To elaborate, conservative ideology preaches the virtues of private initiative and self-reliance. The reading gave an example that “rich and poor pretty much get what they deserve; people are poor not because of inadequate wages and lack of economic opportunity but because they are lazy, profligate, or incapable.”(pg 52). This is an example of how conservative ideology can be defined. Liberal ideology carries protecting and improving the freedom of the individual to be the problem of politics. Liberal ideology is constructed on the liberty and equality of all human beings. I understand the differences between conservative and liberal ideologies by having the idea behind my head that conservative is the left-wing and liberal ideology is right-wing. Liberalism supports a democratic form of government, while conservative ideology supports a capitalist form of government.

3. I understand Althusser’s definition of ideology which he believes that ideology has little to do with awareness, it is deeply insensible. Althusser believed that ideology is spread by agents such as the media and helps to create society’s identities. 

1. 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?

I think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order because they did not believe that integration was the right thing for them. The reading states “Southern governors and law enforcement officials often characterized these tactics as criminal and argued that the rise of the Civil Rights Movement was indicative of a breakdown of law and order.” (Alexander 40). 

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

I believe that the southern strategy is still influencing American politics because we still see how racist American Politics are. For example, when Trump referred to Coronavirus as the Chinese disease. Thus, the reading also states that “Similarly, John Ehrlichman, special counsel to the president, explained the Nixon administration’s campaign strategy of 1968 in this way: “We’ll go after the racists.” (pg. 44). This is another proof to demonstrate that the southern strategy is still influencing American politics.

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 back up her point. (see p. 1-2)

To back up M. Alexander’s point, she states “Almost overnight, the media was saturated with images of black “crack whores,” “crack dealers,” and “crack babies”—images that seemed to confirm the worst negative racial stereotypes about impoverished inner-city residents.” (Alexander 5). This indicates how the colored people were being stereotyped as crack whores, crack dealers and etc. This brings back the idea that M. Alexander was trying to explain when she said that is the reason why many people are being sent to jail in the U.S. today. Also, she stated it is wrong to reason they are going to jail because of how stereotyped they are being labeled. I strongly agree with M. Alexander because someone who is of colored skin can be making the same wrongdoing, and they will not be punished as the colored skin will be punished.

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

 The racial disparities in the rates of incarceration “cannot be explained by rates of drug crimes” because of the reason that studies show that people of all colors use and sell illegal drugs at remarkably similar rates. The reading states “ If there are significant differences in the surveys to be found, they frequently suggest that whites, particularly white youth, are more likely to engage in drug crime than people of color.” (pg. 7). This explains why racial disparities in the rates of incarceration can not be explained by rates of drug crimes. 

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 the phrase “the American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history.” The author is explaining how the American penal system is extremely different from other countries in the world. For example, the author believes that in America, the system is built to hold the people who were wronged for life. To elaborate, the people who do drug crimes and etc, are going to be prohibited from certain opportunities that they can be part of in America. The American penal system does its best to punish the people who do wrong.