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

7 thoughts on “Discussion Board 5.1”

  1. These are usually owned by the capitalist or business owner—not the worker. For example, in a clothing factory, the sewing machines, the building, and the fabric are all part of the means of production. one the other hand, Labor is the actual work being put into producing the specific thing.

    Value comes from how much labor and time go into making something. Depending on the time and effort it takes, the more valuable it is. That’s why labor and value are connected. Labor creates value.

    The difference between labor and labor power is that labor is the work itself, while labor power is your ability to work, which you sell to your boss in exchange for wages.

    Surplus value is the extra value workers create that they don’t get paid for. For example, if a worker makes $100 worth of goods but only gets paid $20, the $80 is surplus value that goes to the owner. It’s key to understanding how inequality works in capitalism.

  2. Labor, Capital and Value

    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.

    RESPONSE: Means of production are all the stuff or items (Machines, tools, land, buildings, and materials) used or needed for people to do work. Means of production are typically owned by owners or employers [ Capitalist], while labor is the people doing the work; it’s people putting in the time, using their skills, and bringing human effort that subsequently turn those materials [ means of production] into products. The workers [ labor] are typically not the owners or employers. Workers SELL their labor for the exchange of wages.

    2. Another important concept in understanding social class is VALUE. Based on the ideas presented in 5.1, what is value? What gives value to value, what makes something valuable?.
    RESPONSE: Value is how much something is worth; it’s about how much work, time, and effort go into making or doing something. The more time, skills, and effort it takes to make or build is the more value Items [Product] will have.

    3. How are Labor and Value related? What is the relationship/ connection between the two?
    RESPONSE: Labor [ people doing the work]and Value[ the worth of something] are connected through time, skills, and effort; thus, labor creates value.

    4. How do you understand the difference between labor and labor power?
    RESPONSE: Labor is the physical work a person does using their skills, while labor power is one’s ability [ time, skills, and effort] to work.

    5. Surplus Value. What is it? Why is it important to know about this in our study of social class? Think about an example of surplus value.
    RESPONSE: Surplus is the extra value created through workers’ labor that they don’t get paid for. We need to study and understand why social class exists and the economic inequality that it creates. [ The poor struggle and the rich keep getting rich.]. An example of surplus value is a Cheese factory that pays its workers $15 per hour for an 8-hour shift [$120]. In that 8-hour shift, the workers have made/ created enough cheese to bring in $1000 sales. The workers created a value of $1000 but only received $120. That surplus of $880 goes directly to the owners and not the workers [labor}.

  3. Means of production are tools and systems used to make things. For example, a printing press is a tool that speeds up the production of books, so it is considered a means of production. Labor is the human effort involved in turning materials into products, like when a writer turns words into a book.
    According to the video, value comes from how much labor time it takes to make something under normal conditions. So, what makes something valuable is the amount of time and labor it took to produce it. Labor and value are connected because labor is what creates value. The more labor something requires, the more valuable it is.
    From what I understood in the video, labor is the actual work being done, while labor power is the worker’s ability to do that work, which they sell to an employer. Employers pay for labor power but gain more value from the actual labor performed. The difference between what workers is paid and the value they produce is called surplus value.

  4. 1. Means of production are the materials and resources used to make goods. For example, sewing machines, thread, and factory buildings. A person working in a clothing factory sewing garments is using these means of production. Labor is the actual work being put in — your effort, time, and skills. For example, the worker sewing the garments is doing the labor that creates the product.

    2. Value comes from the amount of work, time, and effort put into making something. It’s not just about how much people want it — it’s about the process behind it. The more effort and labor that goes into creating something, the more value it has.

    3. Labor and value are directly connected. Labor is what gives something its value.Without someone doing the work, the materials on their own don’t have much worth.
    It’s the labor that adds value by turning those materials into something people can use or sell.

    4. The difference is that labor is the actual work being done — the time, energy, and skills a person puts into a task. Labor power is the ability or potential someone has to do work.
    Everyone has labor power, but it only becomes labor when it’s being used.

    5. Surplus value is the money made from a worker’s labor that they don’t get to keep. For example, if someone works at a coffee shop and brings in $300 in sales during their shift but only gets paid $80, the leftover $220 goes to the owner. This shows how profit comes from the difference between what workers earn and how much value their work creates.

  5. 1.)The means of production refers to everything used to produce goods and services this includes tools, machines, factories, land, and raw materials.it’s the equipment and infrastructure needed to create things. Labor, on the other hand, is the human work that turns those raw materials into actual products. Labor is the energy, skill, and time workers contribute to the production process.
    2.) Value is created through labor. Something becomes valuable not because of its material, but because of how much human labor went into making it. For example, a diamond might be valuable not only because it’s rare, but because of the amount of labor involved in mining, cutting, and selling it. Labor gives “value” to objects by transforming raw materials into useful products.
    3.)Labor and value are deeply connected because labor is what creates value. The more time, effort, and skill it takes to make something, the more value it is seen to have. In Marx’s theory, the capitalist makes a profit by paying the worker less than the value they actually create. So labor creates value, but workers don’t receive the full value of their contribution.
    4.) The difference between labor and labor power is labor is the actual work done. Labor power, however, is a worker’s capacity to do labor their skills, energy, and time. Under capitalism, workers sell their labor power to employers for wages. The key difference is: labor power is potential, and labor is action. Capitalists buy labor power at a fixed wage, but they profit from the actual labor that produces more value than they pay for.
    5.) Surplus value is the extra value workers produce above what they’re paid. This is where profit comes from. For example if someone makes $300 worth of goods in a day but is only paid $100, the extra $200 is surplus value that the capitalist keeps. Surplus value explains why the rich get richer while many workers stay underpaid.

  6. 1. Means of production – Resources used to produce goods and services such as machineries, raw material, land, software, etc.
    Labor – Physical and mental human effort used to produce goods and services.
    For example in a bakery in order to make cakes as a final product they want means of production such as oven, wheat, eggs, sugar, land, electricity, etc. As a labor they want a baker to make a mixture and bake cakes.

    2. Value is measured by how much labor it takes to produce under normal conditions. Once we add more human labor to produce a product it leads to increase the value of it. The more labor that goes into producing something more value it has not necessarily how much people are willing to pay for it.

    3. Labor and value are closely connected in the capitalist system, value comes from the amount of labor required to produce a product. The more labor we use to produce a final product under normal circumstances, the more value it has. Therefore, labor is what increases the value of a product.

    4. Labor is the productive work or the physical effort a person doing for a salary.
    Labor Power is a worker’s ability or a capacity to work. Humans sell their labor power to earn wages, and the employers use it to generate profits.

    5. Surplus value is marginal value workers create beyond what they are paid in wages. For example a worker produces 1000$ worth furniture a day. And the employer pays 200$ as wages to the employee. The remaining 800$ is the generated profit or surplus value to the employer.

  7. 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. Means of production are the necessary resources needed to produce goods by the use of machinery or tools. Labor is the physical act, whether by physically or mentally making an effort to exert a product. in order to build a car you need a factory, machines, materials. Labor is the use of intellect and physical work needed to have a finished vehicle.

    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 time spent and effort given to create what someone needs. Going to college to receive training makes a product more valuable due to the knowledge collected.

    3.How are labor and value related? What’s the relationship/connection between the two? Labor creates value, but value isn’t strictly tied to the labor used to create something

    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. Labor power is traded or being rented out to attain money using time. Labor is the act that physically done to produce what’s expected.

    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 extra value that generated from the labor power that kept by the owner including the profit created. Its important to know because this is why the wealthy generate wealth at an exponential rate compared to the workers. an example is a person works 8 hours and makes 100 bucks; they make shoes that sells for 800 bucks. it takes 100 bucks in materials for the shoe. It costs the company 200 bucks to make and profit 600 from the price sold. the company gets to keep all the profit while the person who made it only makes 100 bucks.

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