| This question <37|41> overall <37|39> Peaches: <712|57>. graded A |
| Question 678: Answer the above Questions (a)-(h) for capitalist society. |
| [38] Peaches: Capitalism's Relations of Production. a) The labor necessary to society's physical survival is not distributed equally, I agree with Clay [37] on this one. Those individuals who work more and consume less do tend to be on the lower end of the totem pole in the economic arena of society. However, these people are not necessarily required to work more and consume less. In a great capitalistic land of opportunity, everyone has the option to improve their way of life using such resources as furthering education, and therefore no one is really required to labor for a certain time, or for a certain wage. There is always opportunity for change. I do believe though, that many people in the lower range of income do not necessarily provide for themselves a positive environment for such improvement. |
| b) The subsistence of individuals and their families is what is of foremost importance to those in the labor force. The acquisition of legal tender with which to obtain the basic necessities of life are the main goals for those who participate in the labor market. The desire for luxury, or even self improvement, is largely an effect of the social pressures of a society. There are cultures that do not work more than they need to provide a modest living for themselves and their families, but capitalism does not promote this simple way of life. Instead, it encourages competition between members of the society to own the most stuff. |
| c) Work within a labor market is organized primarily by those who own or employ the factors of production. The details of production itself are determined in large part by the ability of the factors of production, ie: laborers. The owners or managers can only expect as much as is physically feasible within the specified conditions, but within those conditions have the power to dictate what they please, mainly because of the expendability of the workers themselves. |
| d) As mentioned above, the physical means of production are usually owned by a few individuals who have control over production. Sometimes those who own the factors work, as with farms or small businesses. With larger corporations, however, the decision-making powers lie in the hands of a few, and are far-reaching. The further down on the totem pole the individual is, the less input they are given. |
| e) In disagreement with Clay, I believe the driving force of production is the demand for commodities. Individuals cannot provide everything necessary for their survival all by themselves, they need specialization in order to organize the production of goods to satisfy consumer demand for those goods. Laborers are also demanding individuals of a society, and while it is true that they need some sort of exchange with which to trade on the market, they also must participate in the production of goods for which they demand. |
| f) In the labor market, there are those who do not work. These people may be those who choose not to work who are independently wealthy, or those who are freeloading the system, but they may also be those who are considered unemployed, who are actively seeking employment and are not becoming employed. These people may be receiving assistance from family and friends, or much like the freeloaders, aid from the state. |
| Within the capitalistic society there are divisions of labor based on gender which have been historically present in the evolution of the human workforce. Today these divisions represent two sides of a coin: on the one side, there are those who believe that women primarily work in the home which produces a greater male workforce; but times, they are a changing, and it is commonly found that gender roles within the family are changing, producing a greater influx of female workers. Standards for work are not as quick to change as the trend in employment, however, and women throughout the world can still be found making as little as half the wage of their male counterparts. This, I believe is mainly a consequence of social, not industrial expectations. |
| g) The gap in economic status and class is experiencing massive growth. It can be seen throughout the world, and is sometimes referred to as the North South Gap. The middle classes are being eliminated, and the lower classes are growing. Within populations, the tiniest group of money-makers are controlling the largest proportion of the wealth, while the majority of the society is making less and less. The poverty statistics are growing, and consumption is increasing, in large part due to the growing differences in wage and investment. |
| h) While the market is the system in which commodities are bought and sold, the question as to whether or not those who are entitled to receive the goods are receiving them is yet unsolved. |
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