Karl Marx is one the greatest scholars, whose work has greatly influenced the concept of community development (Parkin and Frank 1979). More specifically, the theory of Marxism has significantly influenced community development and provided the greatest resonant critique of it. According to Marxism, the most fundamental critiques of community development are that, it is a method of controlling the working class and only use them when they are needed (Delanty and Turner, 2011). This paper will discuss Marxist ideas of alienation, mode of production and classic struggle. The paper will explore how these ideas have influenced community development. Marxism theory will also show how the working class has been exploited by the capitalist. Moreover, it will justify Marxists arguments that elimination of the capitalism and replacing it with socialism will be a remedy for the working class and the society in general.
First and foremost, Marxist’s theory of struggle focuses on how the working class is selling their labor to the capitalists who suppress their welfare. Marxists believed the only way to save the working class was to replace capitalism with socialism (Community Development Society 2005). Unlike capitalism, which promotes private property rights, the socialism promotes collective ownership of means of production. Socialism would lead to low-level communism where all classes are treated fairly.
Community development refers to the process of creating equitable communities where all citizens share the returns of sustainable social and economic development (Community Development Society, 2005). Community development entails the values of social capital, community empowerment and capacity building. Community development is also linked to social justice who refers to equitable allocation of society’s wealth. However, Karl Marx argues that the concept of community development has been abused by people who are in power because they use it as a mechanism for controlling the poor (Giddens, 1971). More specifically, Marxist theory points that the capitalists manipulate community development to oppress the working class. However, Marxists suggests that the only way to eradicate this social injustice is to destroy capitalism and replace it with socialism (Parkin and Frank 1979).
Marxist theory show that capitalism leads to alienation of the working class. Alienation of the working class develops under different ways. First, the working class can be alienated along the lines of production (Parkin and Frank 1979). This type of alienation occurs when; workers or laborers become separated from what they produce. For instance, workers can participate in the production of commodities but become alienated from the goods when the capitalists set high prices for the goods. This creates a sense of alienation in that the workers are not able to acquire the commodities they participated in producing. There can also be alienation of social classes. The capitalist mode of society creates social classes. These classes are categorized according to the level of wealth or income. For instance, the superior classes enjoy quality life but the poor or low class have low income and the quality of living standards is low
The theory of Marxist blames the dominance of the capitalistic nature of the society on governing authorities (Delanty, and Turner 2011). Although the government provides social amenities such as healthcare, housing, drainage facilities, security and education, most of its policies are centered on promoting capitalism ideals. For instance, in some jurisdictions these social amenities are provided at a fee. Example is when a person has to pay for hospitals fee in order to access health care services. Although the government offers these services at subsidized rates, these fees affect people from lower social class because they cannot afford to pay for them. However, the rich enjoy these services because they can pay for them. Besides that, governments have not enacted policies that protect the working class from oppression by the capitalists (Delanty, and Turner 2011). For instance, there are no rules that limit capitalists from exploiting the poor.
Marxist believes that capitalism has completely distorted the views held by the working class and all others who surround them. This misleading view has made the working class become alienated from the production process. For instance, Marxist revealed the wage labor, which is a capitalist feature that is the most profound type of alienation. According to the theory, the working class has no right to what they produce. This act alienates the working class from the products they have produced.
Alienation leads to loss of power for the working class (Eagleton, 1976). However, Marxists argues that the society can overcome alienation by restoring the human relationship to the labor process. Moreover, alienation can also be removed by emphasizing on people working together and not just working for purposes of earning a living (Delanty and Turner, 2011).
The Marxist theory defines mode of production as the means of production adopted by the society and the relationship of production between the capitalists and the working class (Giddens, 1971). Marxist assumes ownership mode of production has helped inform community development by enabling workers view how collective approaches are important to promoting unity in society’s structures.
Western Marxists also agree with Karl Marx’s views that, in order for the welfare of working class to improve; a complete overthrow of the capitalism must take place. In fact, western Marxists reclassified the capitalists boundaries by showing them property ownership superseded the ability to control the workforce and managerial authority (Eagleton, 1976). However, modern Marxists are restructuring the boundaries of the working classes by remunerating the classes with better salaries (Delanty and Turner, 2011).
One of the important elements the Marxist theory advocated for is changing the welfare state of the society (Löwith, K. 1993). Marxist argues that welfare state operates along the capitalism and more often governments use it as a tool for controlling the society. Marxists believes provision of social services by the government such as health care, housing and education, do not improve the welfare of the society. The government uses these social services as tools for enforcing social control. The welfare state is designed to help the interests of the capitalists through three main facets of income support. The first feature includes provision of allowances through taxation system; second include provision of a wide range of benefits such as superannuation (Gidddens, 1971). Finally, it is through provision of income-tested pensions through social security. It is through the provision of these services that the government favors the wealthy people and thus controls the working class.
Marxists theory believes community development workers act as instruments of control because they work for the social welfare system. This argument is what forms the basis for the Marxism’s resonant critique. The Marxist theory holds these different values on social work.
The first one is the progressive positive, which views social workers as agents who connect the capitalists and the working class through collective action. The second is the reproductive position, which views workers as promoters of the capitalist’s ideologies and agents of social control. Lastly, the contradictory position views workers as agents of control and capitalists undermine the rights of the working class (Löwith, K. 1993).
The belief that workers are the agents of control has been the most resonant critique for the Marxist theory.
It is thus evident; Marxists ideas have greatly influenced the concept of community development. More specifically, the critiques have enabled the society realize that capitalism leads to marginalization of some people in the society. The paper has shown that capitalism leads to alienation of the poor thus creating social classes. The social classes lead to segregation of some members in the society. The theory of Marxism has revealed that dismantling capitalism and replacing it with socialism will create a fair society. Socialism will help the government allocate resources equitably. Socialism will also protect the poor from exploitation by the rich. Besides that, socialism makes workers assist each other for the development of the community. Finally, socialism promotes social cohesion and unity because it makes people focus on the sustainable development of the society instead of focusing on individual interests (Community Development Society 2005).
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Works cited
Community Development Society, 2005. Community development. Columbus, OH: Community Development Society.
Delanty, G., & Turner, S. P. 2011. Routledge international handbook of contemporary social and political theory. London: Routledge.
Eagleton, T. 1976. Marxism and literary criticism. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Giddens, A. 1971. Capitalism and modern social theory: An analysis of the writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber. Cambridge [U.K.: University Press.
Löwith, K. 1993. Max Weber and Karl Marx. London: Routledge.
Parkin, Frank. Marxism and Class Theory: A Bourgeois Critique. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979
