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MARXISM VS FUNCTIONALISM
Topic:
COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE WORK OF EMILE DURKHAIM AND
KARL MARX.
NAME:
INSTITUTION:
MARXISM VS FUNCTIONALISM
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COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE WORK OF DURKHAIM AND MARX.
Karl Marx and Durkheim Emile are two philosophers and sociologists who researched on
the social problems affecting Western Europe in the 19th century. Although they both use a
different approach, their results have a remarkable similarity in solving the problem affecting the
society. Each of them has approached the cause of the social imbalance and inequalities in the
society differently. Though Marx and Durkheim share similar backgrounds in sociology, each
has a unique definition of the people-society relationship. Both researchers are determined to
explain the new problems arising in the society like wars, crime, and alcoholism. These arising
social issues were unsolvable by previous methods defining moral standards and behavior of the
society.
Both Marxism and functionalism theories are very positive. They create a structural
perspective from analyzing the power of the society on the human behavior using scientific
research methods. They develop from a common era of industrialization period in Western
Europe. Marx and Durkheim learn from the contemporary problems in the emerging culture and
apply sociology in developing scientific theories with an impact even in today’s generation. The
change in culture resulting from the new life places every individual in an important role in the
society. The theories create a perfect understanding of how the society works for sociologists.
Western Europe began experiencing a rapid economic growth and industrialization in the
19th century. The society began experiencing social inequalities because of these factors. The
community no longer lived in helping relationships forcing millions of people into working for
minimal wages. The urbanization led to people losing their land and forcing them to adapt to the
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new emerging culture. The resulting social problems forced researchers to investigate the
changed behavior of the society. Marx and Durkheim are among the researchers who lived in the
19th century and whose works have an impact the current society even today. Although they
were investigating the same problems, their use of different approaches gave different
explanations. Marx gave the Marxism theory, and Durkheim is famous for the functionalism
theory.
Durkheim Emile approach differs significantly with that of Karl Marx. The French
sociologist was born in a wealthy Jewish family. He had a strong background in philosophy and
social sciences gained from his studies in Paris and Germany. Durkheim founded the Annee
Sociologique magazine in 1896 before becoming a pedagogy professor in 1902 at the University
of Paris. He was a sociology intellectual whose work on the phenomenon of religion had a
significant impact even in modern religion. In his structural functionalism theory, Durkheim
argues that people are less important than the social structure. His theory bases on the effects of
religion and family values on the society. Functionalism assumes that people are a creation of the
society making it more important. The behavior of an individual depends on the influence of
other individuals and organizations. These organizations include family, friends, schools media
and church. Durkheim approach defined religion the most influencing factor in the life of an
individual. He also argues that the religion influences the society through the behavior of
families and individuals.
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According to Functionalism theory, religion gives people the meaning of life. Durkheim
theory defines crime as a function that shows an individual good and bad. It plays a role in
uniting the society with shared morals and values. The social institutions are part of the society.
Durkheim explains their role is to stabilize people’s behavior while maintaining social order of
the society. Social institutions include families, friends and education system. The theory relates
members of the society to body organs. Every member of the society has its purpose and a
particular role to play. Social institutions act like body organs, and when they work together,
they maintain social order in the society for generations. The theory defines a society as a group
of people who share values. For the society to function, it has first to socialize to these values.
Karl Marx is the founder of the Marxism theory. He was born on May 5, 1818 in Prussia
to a wealthy middle-class family of a lawyer. Marx was a renowned philosopher, intellectual
socialist, and a talented journalist. He was also a very active revolutionary socialist educated in
Bonn and Berlin Universities. He lived most of life in London after becoming stateless after exile
in Germany and France where he undertook various works in economics that form the basis of
understanding capital-labour relations. (Bell, P., & Cleaver, 2002) His Marxism approach reports
that the conflicts between the ruling class (referred to as bourgeoisie) and the working class
(referred to as proletarians) drive the capitalist society. The Marxism theory argues that the two
economic classes in the society have an unequal and exploitive relationship. The dominant ruling
class owns the means of production like land and machinery. The working class has to exchange
their labour services for minimal wages. The profits from the work further increase the gap
between the two categories. According to the Marxism theory, the ruling class owns and controls
cultural institutions like media, education, and religion beliefs. These organizations socialize
people while maintaining the norms and values of the ruling class.
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Marx claims the capitalist society is the mass of misery and oppression. He predicts the
fall of the capitalism due the revolt of the working class. He describes the capitalist societies are
distinguishable through social relations defined by dominant exploitation of the working class by
the ruling class. The working class does not control any significant means of production and only
rely on selling wage labor to survive. He predicts the socialist revolution that will result in
instability. The results will be increased wars and industrial depressions. (Miller, 2003) Marxists
theory depicts an exploited society with unequal privileges for both classes. Marx defines the
exploitation as deriving benefits from others due to their weakness.
The Marxism theory is more popular than the functionalism theory since it provides
broad answers relevant to the relationship between man and the society. The theory relates
production to social enterprise. By producing food, materials and other necessities for survival, a
man connects with other society members. On the contrary, the functionalism theory views the
society like the biological organs of the body, which have to work together for the society to
function. These factors make Marxism more realistic than functionalism. The functionalism
theory also assumes that non-human things like societies possess human qualities like the ability
to have needs and purposes. The social changes experienced by the society limits functionalism
Whereas Marxism embraces it through the conflicts between the working class and the ruling
class. Marxism provides a complete reality of the social classes and the divisions present even in
the current society. Although many dismiss the theory as a 19th-century doctrine, it is more
applicable to the current society than the functionalism theory.
The functionalism theory argues it is possible for an individual to work hard and change
the social status in the society. Marxists believe that it is tough for anyone to change the class
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he/she belongs to in the society. The reason is that the ruling class is the dominant in the society,
and they control the means of production and the jobs. In addition, the more one works, the more
profits for the ruling class and the larger the gap between the two classes of the society. In the
functionalist perspective, the social institutions maintain social order in the society. For instance,
functionalists may argue education systems are social institutions that socialize the individuals
into the culture of the community. On the other hand, Marxists believes the education systems
serve the purpose of helping the ruling class control the weak since they support their values and
norms. Marx theory predicts the end of the capitalist society where only two unequal classes
define the society. His approach downplays the importance of religion in shaping and socializing
the values of the society as argued by the functionalists. He explains the ruling class benefit from
working class by using religion thus making them work harder and paying them less.
In conclusion, the Marxism and functionalism have a very different view of the society.
They both have a shortcoming in that they ignore the contribution of an individual and his or her
choices in shaping the society. The two theories have received critics for assuming that only the
society that can develop an individual and failure to focus on individual contributions that can
change the society. In the current society, several factors have changed hence the applicability of
the theories is minimal. Both Marxism and functionalism are similar in that they define social
structure exists and shapes the society though they differ on the approach method. The society is
also diverse from place to place, and it's hard to apply the same theory to different societies. The
theories are therefore a framework to help sociologists identify and solve the current problems in
the society. The methods also form a crucial part of learning to live and interact with the society.
(Creaven, 2000)
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The functionalism theory assumption that religion shapes the society is more unrealistic
as compared to Marxism that the two unequal social classes play a role in defining a community.
The approach is practical to the current lifestyle where an individual’s choice and freedom of
doing what they like. It is practically impossible that the social institutions like the education
system will work perfectly well to shape an individual to conform to social order. The humans
are more curious about exploring and discovering new things ignoring the laid down norms and
values meant to develop a person according to functionalism theory. The most visible similarity
is that both theories emphasize on society as significantly influential to a person. They use the
structural approach to explaining the common problems in the society. They also recognize that
social institutions play a significant role in shaping an individual to conform to social orders
although they differ on approach.
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References
Bell, P., & Cleaver, H. (2002). Marx’s theory of crisis as a theory of class struggle. The
Commoner, 5, 1-61.
Holmwood, J. (2005). Functionalism and its Critics. Modern social theory: an introduction, 87109.
Durkheim, E. (1960). Sociology. Essays on Sociology and Philosophy by Emile Durkheim et al.
New York: Harper Torchbooks, 376-85.
MORROW, P. C.. (1978). FUNCTIONALISM, CONFLICT THEORY AND THE SYNTHESIS SYNDROME IN
SOCIOLOGY. International Review of Modern Sociology, 8(2), 209–225.
[Review of Karl Marx, His Life and Work]. (1930). [Review of Karl Marx, His Life and
Work]. The Sewanee Review, 38(1), 125–125
Ehrbar, H. G. (1998). Marxism and critical realism. Presentation for the Heterodox Economics
Students Association, 25.
Miller, R. W. (2003). Capitalism and Marxism. A Companion to Applied Ethics, 62-74.