3.
Theory: Neo Marxism –A Conflict Theory - A Structural Theory – A Macro Theory
Change in Society – Revolution
Strengths
Gramsci’s (1891 – 1937) concept of Hegemony
Gramsci thought Marx was mistaken in giving such overriding importance to the
economy and instead believed that the superstructure (family, Education, Religion)
had relative autonomy. This means that they are not completely dominated by the
economy but are independent structures that have their own power over the
working classes. He came up with the concept of hegemony, stating that the ruling
class have dominance over all learnt norms and value, which explained why the working class was not a
major revolutionary force, and why capitalism worked so well. The ruling class had cultural hegemony,
or in other words their ideas and values dominated society, that allowed them to dominate the working
classes. I.e. the ruling class uses ideas and values to persuade subordinate classes that its rule is
legitimate.
Links to RM
Key Ideas
Neo-Marxists are sociologists whose work has been inspired by Marx’s theories but
have developed a distinctive approach of their own.

In Craib’s view, Althusser ‘offers the most sophisticated conception of social structure available
in the social sciences’.
Weaknesses
Application of neo-marxism
of Neo-Marxism

Neo-Marxists look further than classical Marxists and
do not only focus on the importance of the economy.
They also recognise other inequalities that exist in
society. For example, new criminologists account for
crime amongst the working class and blacks in terms of economic
inequality, individual meanings, policing strategy and the effects of
labelling.
Sociologists working within a Marxist framework have adopted a
similar approach to Gramsci. They stress the role of ideas and consciousness as the basis for
resisting domination and changing society. For example, Paul Willis (1977) describes the working
class lads he studied as ‘partially penetrating’ bourgeois ideology – seeing through the school’s
ideology to recognise that meritocracy is a myth.
For society to be fair there will need to be an intellectual group that educates the working classes to
enable them to challenge the dominant cultural hegemony of the capitalist ruling class. The proletariat
must develop own ‘counter-hegemony’ to win leadership of society from the
bourgeoisie.
Althusser (1918 – 1990) and the Economic, Political and ideological levels
Louis Althusser tried to create a more elaborate version of Marxism and argued that
the structure of capitalist society is best thought of as consisting of three levels,
political (RSA), ideological (ISA) and economic. Each level interrelates and influences
each other, no level is dominant. Each of these levels exists in a state of ‘relative
autonomy.’ This means that the economy does not determine everything else in
society as classical Marxists would believe. The different levels are linked but all have
a degree of freedom or autonomy. The political and ideological levels perform indispensable functions
e.g. for capitalism to continue, future workers must be socialised, workers who rebel must be punished
and so on.
Crime

Working class crime is a form of political action and resistance to ruling-class oppression, in
the form of police racism and harassment.

Crime is used to reassert the dominance of ruling class hegemony. By exaggerating the
problem of working class crime in the media and therefore creating moral panics is a way of
demanding that something is done to control the working classes and stamp out crime.
Religion

Maduro agreed with traditional Marxism that in a majority of cases the church backed up the
ruling party. However in very poor South American countries the church was the only outlet
for the peasant population. This has led to the development of liberation theology the belief
that religion can free the poor from their chains and promote revolution.
Ironically, while Althusser believed he was developing a scientific analysis of society to help bring
about progress to a better society, his structuralist Marxism has been a major influence on
theories such as postmodernism that reject the very idea that scientific knowledge can be used
to improve society.
Classical Marxist would criticise Neo-marxists for having a more ‘social action’
approach to society than being structuralist. These writers often draw on other
perspectives such as internationalism that emphasise the role of ideas and
meanings as the basis for action.
Some classical Marxists would argue that some neo-Marxist developments are not particularly
new. This is because Marx himself recognised the importance of cultural institutions in creating
false class consciousness.
Gramsci is accused of over-emphasing the role of ideas and under-emphasing the role of both
state coercion and economic factors.
Although Althusser rejects economic determinism, he simply replaces it with a more complex
‘structural determinism’ in which everything is determined by the
three structures and their interrelationships, therefore still suggesting
no human free will.
Although Marxists/Neo-marxists provide a useful insight into the workings of society the theory is ideologically driven. Therefore, the theory is reductionist as it fails to take into account competing
theoretical ideas.
Postmodernists are critical of the Marxist/Neo-marxist meta-narrative as they claim to have a ‘totalising’ (all encompassing) theory of society. Postmodernists maintain that rival narratives should be
considered for a full account of social life.