Outline

1. Outline 1. Marx 2. Commodification& Decommodification 3. Labor Markets A. Domination & Exploitation 4. New Classes in Conflict A. Bourgeoisie B. Proletariat 5. Class Struggle Class News • Exam will be on Tuesday 3/29 • New Policy Experiment: • Power Point Slides are up • Chaplin back on Thursday

2. Quiz • 1. One of this week’s readings provided an in depth examination of the production of pancakes. This article used the creation of pancakes to explore the concept of: A. McDonaldization B. Commodification C. Industrialization D. Deregulation

3. Quiz • 2. The reading “Not Just and Urban Legend” explored: • The degree to which serial killers are socially integrated • The spread of false rumors like the idea that mixing “pop rocks” and Pepsi will kill you • The buying and selling of human organs • The way that organized criminal groups such as the mafia interact with free markets

4. Karl Marx and Modernity1818-1883

5. Karl Marx • Sometimes said that “All of sociology is a wrestling match with Karl Marx’s ghost.” • Early analyst and critic of new capitalist society • Like Durkheim, very skeptical that “self interest” would create a stable society • Predicted self interest and free markets would lead to an unstable society characterized by poverty and crisis • Free market would generate new classes that would come into conflict with one another

6. Marx’s Main Concern About Modernity: New Inequality between Classes

7. Karl Marx…Wrote A LOT… • You’ll encounter in sociology, political science, philosophy, history…. • Throughout, concerned with the way the commodification of life generated conflict…huh? • Anyone want to take a stab at this term?

8. Marx… • Smith advised individuals to pursue their own self interest • Social Structure changes from subsistence living to dependence on markets • Native Americans…from buffalo hunt on common lands to private property and the super market • Irish used to work landlords land, then land was cleared and they were forced to get essentials in the market • Markets develop in many goods and services • Pete raises cattle for meat: Ted makes knives to sell to butchers; Ralph sells steaks; Mary sells pots and pans, etc. • More and more things become Commodities • goods or services that are exchanged in a market (D)

9. Commodities and Context • Commodities- goods or services that are exchanged in a market (D) • Whether or not something is a commodity is dependent on social context • Buffalo killed by Native American tribe and eaten collectively by tribe is not a commodity • Buffalo raised by rancher to be sold to butcher is a commodity • Buffalo ground up into hamburger for sale to family… ground meat is a commodity • Buffalo burger barbecued by Dad and given to family…not a commodity

10. Modernity brings more and more commodities…and a new concept • Commodification • extension of the market into spheres of life previously not organized by market relations (D) • Food, Shelter, water, heat…Can pay for them you get them…if you can’t…welcome to modernity… • Think Native American…from gathering wood for heat to purchasing wood for heat • Hundreds of thousands landless Irish starve in 1840s • “God brought the blight, the English brought the famine.” • Today, most of us take commodification for granted…but if you think about it…you’ll notice interesting process…

11. Growing Commodification of our world… • Commodification • extension of the market into spheres of life previously not organized by market relations (D) • Stadiums • Space within the building…(Wrigley and the Roofs) • Names: Veterans to Lincoln Financial

12. Growing Commodification of our world… • Commodification • extension of the market into spheres of life previously not organized by market relations (D) • Bodies • $15,000 = GOLDEN PALACE.COM tatoo • For three years, Goodyear's Dunlop tire unit has offered a set of free tires to anyone who will get the company's flying-D logo tattooed somewhere on their body, and 98 people have taken up the offer.

13. Growing Commodification of our world… • Commodification • extension of the market into spheres of life previously not organized by market relations (D) • Clothes • Product placements in novels • TV Product Placements

14. Growing Commodification of our world… • Commodification • extension of the market into spheres of life previously not organized by market relations (D) • Selling the The Sides of Coffins

15. Commodification • extension of the market into spheres of life previously not organized by market relations (D) • Classrooms • Students are a captive audience exposed to marketing or ads • Can’t just get up and change the front of the classroom…you have to look

16. Growing Commodification of our world… • Commodification • extension of the market into spheres of life previously not organized by market relations (D) • Inside of the Patco Tunnel in Philly

17. The Commodification of life… • What happens if self interest leads some social actors to commodify (buy & sell) things that other members of society don’t want commodified?

18. Society and Markets • Laissez faire (D) • doctrine that government should limit itself to the maintenance of law and order, and remove all legal restraints on trade and prices. • From the French “Leave us alone” • Emphasis on “Free markets” with little or no government regulation • Associated with ideas of Adam Smith

20. Commodification of labor…? You live in a capitalist society where some argue that there should be minimal regulation of business. You and your spouse are employed at a very profitable cotton mill where you each work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. You are not paid enough money to feed your child, pay your rent, and buy other necessities. Your child is 8 years old and has nimble hands. Your boss tells you that he would be more than happy to hire your kid and pay her ½ of what you receive. Though you are not happy about this idea, since you would rather your kid go to school, your family needs the money and your kid joins the millions of other children legally working in factories in America. 1) Should the labor power (ability to work) of 8 year old kids be a commodity? If yes, why? If no, why?

21. Commodification of labor…? You live in a capitalist society where some argue that there should be minimal regulation of business. You and your spouse are employed at a very profitable cotton mill where you each work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. You are not paid enough money to feed your child, pay your rent, and buy other necessities. Your child is 8 years old and has nimble hands. Your boss tells you that since that he would be more than happy to hire your kid and pay her ½ of what you receive. Though you are not happy about this idea, since you would rather your kid go to school, your family needs the money and your kid joins the millions of other children legally working in factories in America. • What mechanisms might society use to put an end to child labor (try to use our concepts: self interest, competition, exit, voice, collective action, norms, institutions, etc)

22. Society Limits Commodification • Anyone know how our society dealt with/deals with the issue of child labor?

23. Society Limits Commodification • Anyone know how our society limited child labor? • Collective Action  Voice  Institutional Rules (Laws) • Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) • restricted child labor in industries engaged in interstate commerce and set minimum wage wages and maximum hours for all workers. (D) • Mother Jones led a march through Philly to eliminate child labor

24. Still an issue on planet… • International Labor Organization estimates 120 million kids between 8 and 14 currently work full time • Thinking about future topics we’ll study…What happens when companies and workers in societies that have banned child labor have to economically compete with companies and workers in societies that permit child labor? • What’s a self interested business man in America to do? • What’s a self interested worker in America to do?

25. The Commodification of life… • What happens if self interest leads some social actors to commodify (buy & sell) things that other member of society don’t want commodified?

26. Commodification…? You live in a capitalist society where great emphasis is placed on the ability of markets to coordinate social relations. In this society, there are people who need organ transplants. Different organs are distributed in different ways, but generally speaking those in need are put on lists, and when donors emerge, organs are given out based on a formula that uses placement on the list along with current status. Since people can live with only one kidney, Mr. X sees and opportunity and creates ACME Kidney Traders. • Should people be able to buy and sell body parts just like they buy and sell blankets? Should human organs be commodities? Why or why not?

27. Limits on Commodification… • National Organ Transplant Act (1984) • sale and purchase of human organs punishable by up to 5 years in prison or a $50,000 fine. (D) • But as with many things that are banned, a black market exists

28. Banned… • But a black market…

29. UN: Fall 09 • “Human dignity would seem to require that a person be able to make a living without having to maim himself. And medical ethics would seem to prohibit taking people’s parts for profits”

30. Decommodifying the World? • All modern societies grapple with the degree of commodification that should exist in a society… • Result has been interesting conflicts over questions of • Decommodification- removal of the market from a sector of society previously governed by market relations (D)

31. Outline 1. Marx 2. Labor Markets Exploitation 3. Labor Markets and Exploitation 4. New Classes in Conflict A. Bourgeoisie B. Proletariat 5. Class Struggle A. Revolutionary B. Democratic

32. “Afghanistan may be a feudal society in many ways, but it is very much capitalist feudalism. In northern Kunduz Province, Afghan votes cost $15 each; in eastern Ghazni Province, a vote can be bought for $18. In Kandahar, they sell their rights for as little as $1 a ballot. More commonly, the price seems to hover in the $5 to $6 range, as quoted to New York Times reporters in places like Helmand and Khost Provinces. • A sociologist would note that Afghanistan has witnessed the ____________ of votes. • A. structuration • B. wholesaleization • C. Walmartization • D. commodification

33. Decommodifying the World? • All modern societies grapple with the degree of commodification that should exist in a society…result has been interesting conflicts over questions of • Decommodification- removal of the market from a sector of society previously governed by market relations • Who owns the Grand Canyon?

34. Decommodifying the World? • All modern societies grapple with the degree of commodification that should exist in a society…result has been interesting conflicts over questions of • Decommodification- removal of the market from a sector of society previously governed by market relations • Who owns the Grand Canyon? • You do. Government interfered in the real estate market and created the National Park System in the early 20th century. • Ken Burns documentary currently airing on PBS

35. Decommodifying the World… • Decommodification • What has our society done to make sure that books are available to everyone in society, regardless of whether they have money to buy books?

36. Decommodifying the World… • Decommodification • What has our society done to make sure that books are available to everyone in society, regardless of whether they have money to buy books? • Public libraries

37. Decommodifying the World… • Decommodification • removal of the market from a sector of society previously governed by market relations. • Anyone ever drive Vermont’s Highways? Notice Anything different?

38. Decommodifying the World… • Anyone drive Vermont’s Highways? Notice anything different about these roads? • Institutional rules do not permit the buying and selling of space on the side of the road in VT

39. Decommodifying the World… Decommodification-Schools Should attendance only be permitted for those who can pay their way, or should it be available to all? • Pakistan: K-12 is a commodity…you pay for it • US: K thru 12 has been decommodified… • Sweden and much of Europe: College has been decommodified…

40. Decommodifying the world… • Decommodification- removal of the market from a sector of society previously governed by market relations. • Using this term, tell my why the music industry is freaking out about operations like Limewire, Bit Torrent and other websites?

41. Decommodifying the world… • Decommodification- removal of the market from a sector of society previously governed by market relations. • Now in the midst of a 6 year slump in music sales

42. Decommodifying the World…? • Debates currently rage on about these matters? • Should drugs for senior citizens be decommodified? • Government provision or Privately Purchased • A FINAL PUSH IN CONGRESS: THE OVERVIEW; SHARPLY SPLIT, HOUSE PASSES BROAD MEDICARE OVERHAUL; FORCEFUL LOBBYING BY BUSH By ROBERT PEAR and ROBIN TONER; Carl Hulse contributed reporting for this article. November 23, 2003 • A fiercely polarized House approved legislation on Saturday that would add prescription drug benefits to Medicare, after an all-night session and an extraordinary bout of Republican arm-twisting to muster a majority. The Senate opened its debate under threat of a filibuster. • But a roll-call vote, which rarely exceeds 20 minutes, began at 3 a.m. and was held open for nearly three hours, as Republican leaders and Bush administration officials scrambled to quell a conservative rebellion.

43. Decommodifying the World…? • Debates currently rage on about these matters? • Presidential debate transcript, Oct. 7, 2008 Question: Senator, selling health care coverage in America as the marketable commodity has become a very profitable industry. Do you believe health care should be treated as a commodity? • Neither Obama or McCain said it should not be a commodity • Recent Health Care Reform proposals in House and Senate do not decommodify health care, they regulate its sale • Many countries have decommodified it

44. Decommodifying the World…? • Debates currently rage on about these matters? • Should pre-school be decommodified and provided like K-12? • Aid Critical to Public Preschool Plan • By JOHN MOONEY March 1, 2009 (NYT) • Modeled after court-required preschools in the state’s urban districts, the far-reaching law calls on virtually every district to start providing all-day programs for their low-income 3- and 4-year-olds by the fall.

45. Once again… • Reasonable people will reasonably disagree on appropriate level of commodification… • Your job in colllege…or at least in this class… • Develop capacity to analyze such matters…and then sort our your positions on your own… • Next…Marx and the commodification of labor

46. Karl Marx and Modernity1818-1883

47. Smith & Marx… • Smith • Society as a web of atomized self interested individuals engaged in market exchanges… • All pursue self interest, Invisible Hand will generate stability and prosperity for society • Capitalism • a form of economic activity in which the means of production (factories, mines, hotels, software companies etc.) are privately owned and in which others, lacking access to the means of production, are forced to sell their labor power for a wage in a labor market. (D) • Production is geared toward the pursuit of profit and is regulated through market competition. • Profits that are generated belong to the owners of the means of production. • I know…that’s a mouthful…could spend an entire semester just unpacking this definition…lets focus in on Marx’s take…

48. Smith & Marx… • Marx thought the invisible hand at work in the new capitalist society would lead to conflict, not harmony… • Marx that turning Labor power into a commodity, something that is bought on sold on the market, was a problem • Labor power- the ability of people to do work (D) • Marx expects that this will generate Groups of people that will clash over economic issues

49. Capitalism turns labor into a commodity • Not the case prior to development of capitalism in 18th century…wage labor was very rare • Gemeinschaft Based on Subsistence…you took what you needed from nature and turned it into what you needed to survive…no one paid you a wage • When Gemeinschaft societies are destroyed… • People will be kicked off the land… • Enclosure Movements across Europe • Reservations for Native Americans in US • People will no longer be able to get what they need from nature…puts them in a bind…what can they do to get meat, wood, etc?

50. What can they do…? • No longer have access to the land • Can’t farm, raise cows and chickens, hunt buffalo etc. • Former peasants and/or hunter gatherers will have to buy things that they need at market… this will take money… • To get money, they will need to sell the only thing they have…their ability to work… • “The natives are to be forced to make a living by selling their labor.”- Karl Polanyi, 1944