As we learned thus far, the capitalist class consists of people who own wealth, as well as the means of production in American society. An important question in understanding how this class works is to ask: how does a capitalist remain wealthy? The answer to this question depends largely on understanding the diagram M-C-M’. So, let’s practice by explaining what happens in this diagram in our own words (but basing our ideas on Reading 5.1). Respond to the following question: Explain M-C-M’ to show how capitalists maintain and increase their wealth. (hint: your answer should weave a summary that includes what you reviewed in the self-assessment exercise question 1-7)

1. In the past the commerce was based between two people that make things. One used to sell what he makes and get money and buy what the other makes or what he needs. They will get money from their labor, this is considered as the Commodity – Money-Commodity. Now the wealthy comes to play the role of intermediary between creators and buyers. They used this strategy to stay wealthy or to make more money. With their money they buy what the creators make and resell it more than what they primarily bought, and this is considered as Money-Commodity-Money + Profit. But they are able to play this role just because they have money. They are able to buy what the artisan makes for less than what their value is, and to sell them for more and this is how they become richer. They transform themselves into manufacturers and industrialists in buying the means of production with their money such as, buildings, raw materials, equipment necessary for their business. etc. Money keeps come and go and unlimited. For the capitalist system to remain the worker has to work more than what is getting paid. Therefore, they work for height hours and get paid for 4 hours. The additional four is for them to produce extra units or goods. The extra unpaid hours that the working class produce extra goods in is considered as surplus labor which will generate more profit to the boss. This extra labor surplus will then give birth to the surplus value, a big profit, more than 100% of the real value of the good in some capitalist system.

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.

The means of production is all what is required to make a product such as raw material, the expertise, substances used in the primary production or manufacturing of goods, the equipment and the entity that will provide their brand name help with distribution. All the means or product are privately owned by the wealthy class but not by the working class or labor class. While the labor is the thing that increase the value of what the finished product is. In other words the labor is how much time it was required or how much time it took an individual to make that the product.

1. 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? 

Valuable means what worth a lot of money. Sometimes something that is priceless, very important. The amount of labor used to make product can determine its value. If it needed specialized or trained person to make a product, it will make it more expensive or more valuable. The person that spend the time and energy to make a product should be best situated to give value to the valuable product.

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

Like Adam Smith said “Labor is alone the real standard by which the value of all commodities can at all times and places be estimated and compared”. I think both the product and the person that produce labor has a monetary value. The labor class sells their service for money in terms of wages or salaries. And the product is sold in a market for money in return which we call profit, which make it valuable. The more labor it takes to make a product, the more value it will have and vice versa. There’s is no valuable product without the labor that work on that initial material or initial product.

1. 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 what the working class use to make production of goods. It is the physical act of working. On the other hand, Labor power is only found in human. It is a person’s capacity to work and to sell their labor power to employers in exchange for money.

1. 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?

Value on top of the amount of value it takes for labor. Surplus value is somehow the profit. It is important to know about in our study of social classes because the surplus value go to the owning class. Working class uses the labor power and labor to produce goods and services. Besides they are exchanging these abilities for money, they are not fairly compensated or getting paid when considering the huge profit made out of goods or product selling. It is somehow, an exploitation of the working class.

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

The text identifies owners as people who owns some assets such as bonds, stocks, real estate, mineral royalties and rents. Those are considered the wealth of a society and are owned by only 1 percent of the US population. Owners lives off investments, which means they do not need to work to get an income to survive. Not only their income is very large but they make it mostly from the labor of other people. Also owners are the one who possess the big and giant corporations comparing to small business holders who are struggling to stay on in the market place. In contrast, per the author employees are the working class, they must work for a living. Employees live mostly on salaries, wages, fees, commissions. Even small businesses owners, company managers and executives directors fall into this category because of their range of incomes because they are working for the wealthy people. And they work really hard for the owning class who does not work at all, and who gets all the benefits or profits at the end.

Example of owner: Jeff Bezos who owns amazon and he has almost 1,608,000 employees who work hard in his company to produce the labor. He is the second richest person in the world and Amazon daily revenue is 1.29 billion. In other words Jeff Bezos does not need to work for a living because due his investments profits.

Example of employee: Those people working for Amazon are considered employees. They have to work to get a salary and survive. They must work to pay their rent, provide food to their family. They are the hard workers of Amazon who produce the labor to have this company owner to be situated as one of the most wealthy person in the world.

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

Adam Smith states that “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.” In my opinion, in this statement, Smith is trying to give as much value to the labor as the finished products the workers make. To rephrase it, rich people or corporations do not really appraise their workers as the ones who makes their wealth. Instead, they are low paid for all the fortunes they create, they not benefit much. The real estimate of all the finish products, raw material, diamonds, agricultural products, is actually the ones working in agricultural farms, diamond miners who work in small-scale mining digging for diamonds, not the monetary value they bring back to those industries. Nevertheless, workers in place of being valued they are exploited. Their wages do not reflect the value of their work.

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

The main argument of this Reading that class is not an identity can be seen in other words as, that we cannot based on class to identify or categorize the US society. Instead, we need to base the category of capitalist power and their exploitation and oppression on race and gender. The Capitalists power creates a system that discriminates against some groups (color people) and benefits other groups (White people) among the working class. Examples of these systems are racism, sexism, this system enable dominant groups to exert control over target groups by limiting their rights and access to basic resources. Examples are white people are favored over black people. Women are discriminated in Job opportunities, salary levels and increases. In other words, in the same working class white and black, us citizen born and immigrants, men and women are treated differently.

1. 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?

The author said that “class structures are build around a close form of dependency”. In the text the close form of dependency means the relations established between the Capitalists, workers and society. The Capitalists are the ones who owns all the businesses or productive property. Those business are for example farms that provide access for food to the population. All what is necessary in term of consumption for everybody. Therefore, they are important, which in turn make them powerful. Also, they become a necessity, because we all depend on the capitalist or the wealthy owner, workers have to get a job in those productive businesses in order to have salaries which is essential to our survival. We need to make sure that they shall reign forever because they control all resources everyone needs to remain. Capitalists depends on the society and workers as well. They depend on workers because they are not doing the hard work, they need people to work for them. And the society, to buy and consume their products which in turn will bring back revenues, profits and fortunes to them.

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?

The first reading discussed Social class in term of hierarchy from low to high based on income, wealth, power and education. Per the author, this approach is the objective definition of the social class in a society. Additionally, the second reading defines social class by using the subway system and categorize them from lowest to highest. Other similarities that exist between these two texts on social class is, they both elaborate social class in term of income. The highest income or the upper class is above $200K and the lowest income is in the range of $20K. They both have 5 categories of social class based on household income. Yet, both readings differ from each other in different aspects, such as the first consider the US population in general while the other one is very specific to social class based on New York subway system. One of them talk about the perception of Americans on social class, what people think about their class, where they belong to. The other one is based on data from a credible institution, the U.S Census Bureau. These data shows that income changes between boroughs and neighborhoods. The richest people live in Lower Manhattan and the poorest in the other boroughs mostly black neighborhoods, except in minor stations in those boroughs.

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?

Considering the neighborhood and station where I live, on 185 Hillside Ave, I would say per the author my neighborhood is a middle class one. Because I noticed that most of people are working people. Some seems educated and some may not. I think maybe the median household income can vary between 40K to 250K. According to me, mostly all types of social classes lives in my neighborhood such lower, working, middle, Upper-Middle and Upper if we base on the author’s classification. I do not think it is an accurate representation because there are working people that makes more than 250k, should we consider them in the upper class or the working people class. A CPA, for example that owns a small accounting firm can make 500k or 1M as income or revenue. Does that mean they are not part of the working class. In what class should we categorize that person, Upper or working class? In what category or class should we put a rich person? A person that owns only businesses.

3- Based on Reading 4.2, do you notice a general pattern about social classes in NYC?

Yes there is a pattern about social classes in NYC based on the New York subway. I noticed that for all trains numbers, the stations situated in Manhattan specifically Chambers Street, Park Place, and World Trade Center, in Lower Manhattan), are where you find the highest median household income people. And as much as a stations are moving away from Manhattan you will find the poorest household income. Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens are the low income boroughs, except for some stations that are really closed to Manhattan. In most lines the poorest people live in Brooklyn and The Bronx. Except in line G, where the incomes shift a little higher for Brooklyn comparing to Queens.

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

1- A repressive State Apparatus is the use of police, the judiciary system in place against the people that fail to obey at the Ideological State Apparatuses. Althusser call it repressive because it is the last stage of punishment. It takes away freedom of people by punishing them when they do not accept authorities in discipline and rebelled. It consists also of detention and prison.

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

2- Ideological State Apparatuses are the use of methods other than physical violence to achieve the same goals when use the Repressive State Apparatuses, to make you accept authorities in discipline. They are schools, churches. They work in the sense that the lower class people is taught to behave according to the ruling class benefits, not in theirs, unconsciously. They make you believe that schools are mandatory for your growth while at Schools they not only teach you to read and write but they also force you to be disciplined. People are trained to respect and obey authorities but will be punished if fail to do so.

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?

3- I think Repressive State Apparatuses and the Ideological State Apparatuses differ in the following:

• The authorities are different. For Ideological it is the schools teachers, church leaders and the Repressive is the judiciary system such as police, court, army and prison.
• At the Ideological people are being taught on how to behave and obey. While the Repressive is the severe punishable consequences for disobedience of authorities.
• The Ideological is a soft power while the Repressive is tough one.

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. I’ll start us of off by giving an example.

Ideological Apparatuses example: The Church forbids fornication. Some churches would condemn or reject anyone because of fornication. The supposedly sinner will faced disfellowship, which is a disciplinary measure against members who did wrong. That person cannot participate in communion and will be expelled from any privileged group they were part of.

Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in YOUR OWN WORDS.
Hint: One way to approach this is as follows
a) Describe what ideology is in a brief paragraph (in your own words).
b) Give an example illustrating what you wrote in (a).
c) Write another paragraph (or two), explaining to your reader with additional details, how you understand ideology.

1- According to me ideology is a set of rules and beliefs of a group of people. It is a some ideas that a group or individual is based on. It forms the operating principles for a society. These people believe in these ideas without even questioning why they exist. An example is the Democracy Ideology, which consist in, the government of a country has to be elected by the masses. In order words in the government is elected by popular vote, it has the mandate and consent to lead under its policies until another election. Most country in the world shared the ideology of democratic regime for governance.

Ideology is a group of principles of certain political, social and cultural beliefs of parties. Most people subscribe to multiple ideologies. For example a person who follow a particular religion and a political party such as Catholicism and Republicans, has straight beliefs tie to these two ideologies. As a catholic this person will believe that the main motive for ethical behavior is to love God. They believe in the trinity and virgin Mary. A person affiliated to Republican ideology would support traditional values, no abortion and no gay marriage.

2- 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.
Hint: try to identify key words (concepts) that play a big role in making someone consider themselves to be liberal or conservative. Then, explain in your own words what those keywords (concepts) mean

2- I understand the conservatives and liberals are used to describe political affiliations in the US society. In addition, democrats are often viewed as liberals and republicans are often viewed as conservatives. Conservatives are partisans of free market, Liberty, capitalism, big business defense. In other words, conservatives think that most service should be provided by the private sector in a free market, there must be less regulation. Also big business or higher income entities should have incentive instead of been taxed to invest more. However, liberals believe in equality, social groups, controlled economy, self interest. They think that the government should provide the services such as free universal health care to all citizens to challenge private health care companies, on top of that high income earners should pay a good part of their income as taxes.

3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words. Given an example. Hint: you may have to watch the second video again, and find the few places where Althusser’s position is presented.

3- Per the video, Althusser’s definition of Ideology is that Ideology is a system and structure imposed by the ruling group such as government, schools, judiciary institution to control a society in their own interest. They use sometimes violent and non violent method to do so. It causes people to believe that they have control over their lives while in fact, they don’t. According to Althusser’s, people do not act in their own interest but they they are not even conscious of it. People tend to believe being normal means to be part of a group, and/or share same beliefs with a group without been conscious it is not the best choice because none of them are in our interest. People are distracted by entertainments, social media to not been conscious of their situation and not doing anything to change it. An example is that school is labeled as a place to learn how to read, write and also a necessity. But school is similarly a tool to teach people to be disciplined and obey. People think they are free, when actually their freedom is controlled and restricted by force.

1. The Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order” to balance between the anti-integration white voters and the northern liberals to win the presidential election. They support equality for all American under this term while there were some coded racism terms in the strategy. The campaign under law and order prioritizes peace and freedom to prevail in America and the world while masking that the whole problem is really the blacks. The advantages this choice of words give them that they won the election in 1968 subjects on racial issues are more important now to voters than socioeconomic.

2- In my point of view, the Southern strategy is still influencing American politics. Examples are the Democrat party won the last election by emphasizing mostly on racial inequity and coronavirus. These two main subjects were the most challenges that were facing the country at that time.

1 – Michelle Alexander explains that the main explanation of why so many people are sent to jail in the U.S. today which is the drug war against drug crime in the black poor neighborhood, is deeply wrong. A) She stated that President Ronald Reagan officially announced the current drug war in 1982, before crack became an issue in the media or a crisis in poor black neighborhoods. B) Per M. Alexander war on Drugs was part of a genocidal plan by the government to destroy black people in the United States. C) Also she argues that drug convictions accounting for the majority of the increase, especially among people of color, while studies show that people of all colors use and sell illegal drugs at remarkably similar rates, however when entering our nation’s prisons and jails, they are overflowing with black and brown drug offenders. D) According to her text sociologists have frequently observed that governments use punishment primarily as a tool of social control, and thus the extent or severity of punishment is often unrelated to actual crime patterns.

2- Racial disparities in the rates of incarceration cannot be explained by drug crimes because studies have shown that people of all color use and sell illegal drugs at the similar rates. However, in the prisons and jails there were mostly black and brown drug offenders. In some states, black men have been admitted to prison on drug charges at rates twenty to fifty times greater than those of white men. In major cities wracked by the drug war, 80 percent of young African American men now have criminal records and are subject to legalized discrimination for the rest of their lives.

3- The phrase: “The American penal system has emerged as a system of social control unparalleled in world history” means to me that the penal system in the US has become a system of racial control in term of labeling black men with crimes and incarcerated them. These people are locked up for a long period of time that surpassed most of other countries in the world. When they get out of jails, they lose most of their rights and are discriminated. This is the penal system used to control black people.