Capitalism. A necessary evil?
When I go on one of my occasional rants about the effects of Capitalism, my students often presume I’m a staunch Marxist. I’m not; I certainly have Marxist leanings but these are not necessarily more prevalent than my feminist, Actionist or functionalist leanings.
So from here I usually go to explain that it’s probably more appropriate to see me as anti capitalist.
This invariably ends in me (after I’ve expelled my emotional rage!) feeling quite deflated by the socioeconomic climate We exist in. This is largely because I see capitalism as a source of all that is Wrong in the World in terms of the creation of inequality and poverty.
And I’m a part of the problem. This is because I’ve bought into consumerism. I like my nice things. I like the fact I have a good laptop that I’m using to type this post. I’ve got an array of Apple products that I’ve convinced myself my life is better for them and couldn’t be Without. And I’m too far gone to back out now. However I’ve also bought into the functionalist notion of meritocracy; I’m living proof it exists. It’s tangible. Hence Why I can’t be labelled Marxist in the truest sense!
Capitalism creates by its very nature unequal wealth and therefore opportunity inequalities; the haves and the have nots. 
Teaching Sociology and Social Policy I occasionally get to discuss trickle down theory; the notion that to give the less Well off more financial support, those giving it have to create more to enable their position not to worsen. Therefore the gap between the haves and have nots Will never get closer.
Capitalism…hiss boo hiss!
However I read with interest recently an article praising capitalism for actually reducing poverty (see link at bottom).
It’s a fascinating read, claiming that throughout the remainder of this decade, “hundreds of millions Will join the ranks of the middle classes in the emerging world” So everything’s alright then? Well I don’t believe it’s that simple. Why? Well poverty is not just about absolute measures, something that Blair’s New Labour knew all too Well. It’s also about relative measures i.e. setting standards against accepted the social norm.
But of course Marxists Would recognise argue that all these hundreds of millions entering the sparkly realm of the middle classes are simply purchasing themselves a big dollop of ignorance and With it are blinded to their real position in life, creating false class consciousness along the Way. Thus the elite powerful stay just that, and all because a few hundred million more tablets and smartphones are sold and convince We are ‘better’ for them!
Sociology Bri 