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Running Head: Sociology Assignment Two

Sociology Assignment Two

Student: Nicholas Mackay
Student ID: N01042976
Date Submitted: December 3, 2015
SOCI-150
Professor: Soni Thapa Oli
Humber College ITAL

Running Head: Sociology Assignment Two

Sociology Assignment Two

Question 1.
Distinguish between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat in Marxs theories. Which of the two is
the exploiting class? Why? How is exploitation justified?
Marxist theory divides society into two intertwined classes in conflict with one another.
Marxist views on society came to define the way in which many societies would organize
themselves. Marx observed contemporary western society and the groups that defined it. Marxist
theory focused on the conflict between the classes in society. Though Marx was analyzing early
industrial/capitalist society, he and the Marxists believed that this class structure and conflict
had existed throughout human history in varying forms. These classes are identified as the
bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Their relationship and identities are the topic of this essay.
The bourgeoisie are the members of industrial society that own the land, factories, and
businesses. These possessions produce the things that every member of society needs or wants.
The bourgeoisie are wealthy and powerful. They tend to live a life of leisure and security. They
have far more resources than they need. The bourgeoisie determine the welfare of the proletariat
by controlling their access to resources. Their goals center upon becoming richer through
realizing profits. While industrializing societies were becoming richer, the Marxists viewed this
increase in wealth being absorbed by those who needed additional wealth the very least. They
owned the means of production and leveraged that position in order to own more capital. In
essence, the bourgeoisie had the power and wealth in society while the proletariat did not
(Encyclopdia

Britannica, 2015).
In sharp contrast to the bourgeoisie, the proletariat are those members of society that do

not own the factories or farms and are forced to exchange their labour for the necessities of life
(Encyclopdia Britannica, 2015). They engage in constant and harsh work while receiving very

Running Head: Sociology Assignment Two

little. The proletariat lived in poor conditions and struggled to survive. There was little
enjoyment that was possible for them.
The Marxists view was that the proletariat suffered and laboured to the produce the fruits
of society while the bourgeoisie claimed the benefits. The bourgeoisie exploited the proletariat to
enrich themselves. Even in a society of net abundance the resources were distributed so
unequally that the majority of society suffered. An arrangement of society in which one class
works and the other benefits was viewed as extremely unfair. This arrangement was highly
consistent across generations (Encyclopdia Britannica, 2015). The children of the bourgeoisie
would have every advantage and join the bourgeoisie while the children of the proletariat would
remain trapped in the same position of exploitation that their parents had been born into. The
effect of this exploitation on the proletariat diminished them physically, mentally, and spiritually.
The effect of struggling to survive and a nearly complete lack of power alienated the proletariat
from society and their own life and labour.This exploitation placed the classes in a state of
tension. The interests of each class were in conflict but each was dependent upon the other. The
proletariat wanted to change society to be more equitable and the bourgeoisie wanted to maintain
the current state of affairs. This tension and conflict lead to the formation of a number of socialist
nations and reforms in capitalist nations (Encyclopdia Britannica, 2015). The proletariat of
these nations seized the means of production for their own benefit. The results were mixed.
This exploitation was justified through a wide variety of arguments. Historically, the
Calvinists claimed that the rich were favoured by god; that it was a wise and moral gods will
that the rich and powerful should own their property (Weber, 2002). The poor were viewed to
have some flaw in their character that had led to their condition. John Locke argued that a man
was entitled to the results of his property. Private ownership, no matter how uneven, was argued
to be natural and fair. The proletariat claiming the products that the bourgeoisies factories had

Running Head: Sociology Assignment Two

produced was equated to a form of theft (Weber, 2002). Adam Smith and other capitalist
philosophers argued that the profit motive among the bourgeoisie would ultimately benefit the
proletariat. The desire for more profits would drive society to be organized to serve society in
general (Weber, 2002). Those whose means of production were not used to serve others would
cease to exist. The bourgeoisie who did not selfishly help others would not remain in the
bourgeoisie. It was also argued that the proletariat could become members of the bourgeoisie if
they tried hard enough.
The conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat remains relevant for modern
society. Society is still tremendously unequal and poorer workers are still used by the truly
wealthy to serve the wealthys ambitions. The same arguments are posed to justify the systems
that exist today.
References
Marxism. (2015). In Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved from britannica.com/topic/Marxism
Weber, M. (2002). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism: and other writings. Penguin.
Question 2.
Analyse the situation involving Dalits in Indias and/or Nepals contemporary caste structure.
How have things improved for them?
The Dalits are a broad group of disadvantaged individuals found throughout South Asian
societies. They are not defined by ethnicity, religion, or language but rather but their oppression
and exclusion from society and the caste system. Although the caste system was officially
abolished by law it continues to have a powerful legacy in India. This essay will focus on the
history and contemporary experience of Dalits in India.
Historically, the Dalits were those groups that were excluded from the caste system in
India. The caste system was the core of how Indian society was structured. By excluding them
from this structure they were excluded from mainstream society. This isolation and oppression

Running Head: Sociology Assignment Two

led to many Dalits being poor and powerless(Columbia Encyclopedia, 2015). They were
otherwise known as the untouchables and were forced to perform work that was considered
unsuitable for broader society. Their work included leather tanning, managing sewage, butchery,
street cleaning, and garbage collection. It was viewed that these tasks corrupted and dirtied the
individual that performed them. It was believed that ones job defined that person in a broader
sense. It was also thought that this impurity was contagious and this lead to further social
isolation (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2015). These roles in society were not lucrative and this lead
to poverty.This isolation also barred Dalits from the opportunity to receive education which
suppressed their ability to better themselves.
In contemporary Indian society many of these problems persist but there have been
important improvements and several milestones have been reached. A Dalit is still somewhat
poorer and less powerful than the average Indian. The Dalits remain in unsanitary and
undesirable employment (Shah, 2001). The momentum that exists in Indian society is huge and it
will take time for these matters to improve. Even so, the Indian government has passed many
laws to stop discrimination against Dalits. Dalits have been appointed to the highest courts of
law. They enjoy a higher employment rate than the national average. In 1997, K. R. Narayanan,
was chosen as the first Dalit president of India (Shah, 2001). Though their social and economic
status is lower than average, the Dalits have essentially equal access to some government
services such as government housing and some government employment. Despite this progress,
93% of Dalits live below the Indian poverty line (Shah, 2001). They form a disproportionate
number of Indian prisoners. They are more likely than average to be high school dropouts. They
are segregated from most settlements and live outside of cities in their own villages and slums.
They may not enter most rural temples. Many Indians still believe that touching or associating

Running Head: Sociology Assignment Two

with Dalits will contaminate them. In virtually every way they are still excluded and oppressed in
Indian society but there has been some improvement.
The history and current affairs of the Dalits are deeply concerning. They are outside the
unofficial caste system and thus they are excluded from much of society. The Dalits continue to
be the oppressed in Indian society but the trend is towards a slow improvement. Changing a
billion minds is a gargantuan task but it must be done if India is to be a just society.
References
"Dalits." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Retrieved December 01, 2015
"Dalits." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2015. Retrieved December 02, 2015
Shah, G. (2001). Dalit identity and politics (Vol. 2). Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Question 5.
Critically analyze why or if we should care about global warming and climate change. Provide
evidence and examples to support your argument.
Climate change is a real and significant threat to humanity. It is a threat to the well-being
of all living things. Climate change is a phenomenon in which a variety of factors including
increasing levels of greenhouse gases and changes in global albedo are leading to a general
warming of the planet. By the end of this century it is projected that the earths temperature will
increase by two degrees on average. This seemingly small increase will have a huge variety of
negative effects.
As humanity has shaped the climate, the climate will shape our nations. The essence of
the threat is that humanity has designed and implemented its cities, economies, and way of life
based on how the earth exists currently and climate change is going to make those arrangements
less suited to a changed planet. What we have accomplished will have to be re-evaluated.
Climate change will cause sea levels to rise and this will displace millions of people and
compromise infrastructure near the oceans (Meehl et al., 2007). Bangladesh has a very low
average elevation and a massive population, combined with rising sea levels this could develop

Running Head: Sociology Assignment Two

into a disaster of unprecedented scale (Meehl et al., 2007). Climate change will increase the
intensity of storms and combined with rising sea levels, humanity can expect episodes similar in
magnitude to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. Climate change is also projected
to lead to an increase in desertification and a corresponding decrease in arable land even as the
populations demand for food increases (Meehl et al., 2007).
The consequences of climate change to the natural world are of equal concern. As the
climate changes the ranges of virtually all animals and plants will shift or disappear. Many local
populations may go extinct in isolated areas that cannot shift to new ranges (Walther et al.,
2002). Higher temperatures are also lethal to coral and coral reefs are slow to recover. Climate
change will make most habitats less stable and less hospitable for organisms and many living
things. Most species decline in unstable and disturbed environments; including humans(Walther
et al., 2002).
Addressing climate change is critical and extremely difficult. It will affect both the wellbeing of humanity and of all other living creatures. In many ways a reduction in carbon dioxide
is a reduction in short term prosperity (Meehl et al., 2007). To a certain extent we will need to
adapt to the climate change that is already under way and cannot be averted. Our goal must be to
adapt and to prevent further warming. Limiting our use of fossil fuels is politically difficult
because climate change is relatively slow and subtle and yet its effects are global and if we do
not take action it will be a disaster. It has been created by mankind and only mankind can halt it.
References
Meehl, G. A., Stocker, T. F., Collins, W. D., Friedlingstein, P., Gaye, A. T., Gregory, J. M., ... &
Zhao, Z. C. (2007). Global climate projections. Climate change, 283.
Walther, G. R., Post, E., Convey, P., Menzel, A., Parmesan, C., Beebee, T. J., ... & Bairlein, F.
(2002). Ecological responses to recent climate change. Nature, 416(6879), 389-395.