The world over social inequality and political justice have become critical issues that many feel should be addressed for the sake of improving the quality of life The issues faced are not new as they have been around for some time in one form or the other Many theorists or free thinkers have pondered over this and have come up with ideas that aim to achieve social and political change for the sole purpose of improving the quality of life In this paper I aim to illustrate how some of the theories put forth share similar characteristics while at the same time deviate from their ideas The first similarity that stands out between the theories is the division among society along the lines of the haves and the have nots or those who have power and those who are subject to that power which acts as a point of contention In the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels The Manifesto of Class Struggles this clearly plays out in the form of a struggle between the Bourgeois who are a class of people fortunate enough to own property or means of production and the Proletariat who provided the required labor
This can also be seen in the theory of Friedrich Engels The Patriarchal Family where a previously matrilineal society that was cooperative in nature changes as a result of new economic ventures through farming and pastoralism this lead to a drastic shift in power where the society became patriarchal This point of view is shared by Harriet Martineau in her work titled Woman She warns of the dangerous consequences in a society where power is concentrated among men while women are readily oppressed she describes a society that is actively working to treat women not as equals to men this she compares with slaves where for both justice has been denied It is clear that these theorist s work touched on the active division of society in which eventually one side is oppressed and denied justice for the benefit of the other group Some of these theorists paint politics as a tool that can be used for societal change or oppression depending on how it is used Karl Marx in his work Labor Power and Capital argues that the state has the advantage of influencing the value of labor power in numerous ways This can be done either to benefit the citizens or to satisfy the needs of the few Marx Weber in his essay Politics as a Vocation defines the state as the only institution capable of granting the right to use any form of physical force so politics is just a means of pursing or influencing any division of power He also urges those in power to exercise a balance between ethics as a moral conviction or as a responsibility The manifesto of class struggles by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels also touches on the subject of politics they portray the proletariat struggling to change the society by establishing democratic parties in a bid to change the society These theorists recognized the crucial role that politics play in society and is a powerful weapon or an ally of the people The thinkers have approached the issues of societal and political change using different groups that society is divided along In manifesto of class struggles by Karl Marx and Friedrich society is divided along economic prowess which resulted in two major classes these are the bourgeois who have the capital and the proletariat who have no capital but offer labor In other works such as The Patriarchal Family by Friedrich Engels Woman by Harriet Martineau Women and Economics by Charlotte Perkins Gilman just to name a few paint society as patriarchal in which women's rights and freedoms are limited Anna Julia Cooper in her work
The Colored Woman's Office highlights the struggles of an African American woman in society as an in between that is to say they have to struggle with the hurdles set for women and people of color simultaneously The theorists used different niches of society to expose the divide in society and how others are being short changed Differencesframework of opinion can also be seen about optimism on the progress of change In the works of Karl Marx case in point The Manifesto of Class Struggle and Labor Power and Capital he paints a picture of how a capitalist society systematically leads to oppression of those not able to access power On the other hand theorists like Harriet Martineau in her essay titled The Woman are optimistic at the strides women have taken in ensuring a fair and just society as much as they are aware there is still a long way to go To conclude societal and political change is a collective responsibility The theories provided provide great groundwork to learn and understand the issues that create imbalance moreover they also point to some of the solutions that can be implemented in order to improve the situation Each theorists was influenced by different circumstances and background and therefore while some of their arguments may conflict they each have valuable lessons in their own right Reference Lemert C Ed 2016 Social theory The multicultural global and classic readings Westview Press
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