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. Labor is the work that’s required to create products, where the means of production are things such as equipment, factories, and land to actually have a set setting to create these products. For example, at a deli there are workers who give their labor whisking eggs, making smoothies. Then there are the stoves, toasters, knives, used to create the product, being the means of production.
  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? Value is determined by how long or little time needed to produce the product. Marx claims that because work gives value to things, the time and effort that goes to producing the product makes it valuable. For example a blanket thats made handmade is more valuable than a blanket thats made by a machine because of the time and effort put into making the blanket. What makes something valuable is the time and effort put into the work, something thats rarely been touched, like it’s sacred.
  3. How are labor and value related? What’s the relationship/connection between the two? Labor and value are related because labor is the key of creating value. If something wasn’t created to begin with, it would not have held value. There is so much time being put into creating a product or giving a service that the time frame determines the value.
  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. The difference is, labor is the physical work someone does to create a product or give a service. Labor power is the capacity or how much of a worker that they give to someone to be paid in return.
  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? Surplus value is the difference of what a worker is paid versus what they produce. Workers will always give value to something they are giving or making rather than what they are being paid. This is important because this shows how higher ups will always benefit from the lower class giving their labor.

One thought on “Discussion Board 5.1”

  1. I agree with your response. Surplus value is the difference between a worker’s pay and their actual output. Workers often give more value than they are paid for, which is an important point in Marx’s theory. Capitalists, or higher-ups, profit from the extra value, leaving workers with less than they contributed. This shows how the system is designed to help those in power by exploiting the labor of the lower classes.

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