Critique And Analysis Of Harry Cleaver

Over 75 years later, we still do not have the freedoms President Roosevelt wished upon us. A specific freedom that still does not exist is “economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants.” There are still dozens of poverty stricken countries, known as Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC). These are countries that have a national debt that is unmanageable with traditional manners alone. The good news is that the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative began in 1996 to address this issue. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMC), and other creditors teamed up to reduce the debt of 36 countries that met strict criteria.

In the documentary Life and Debt, it is explained through the stories of local people, the economic and social crisis of Jamaica. With Jamaica receiving mandatory loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1977 because of lack of alternatives, Jamaica was promised meaningful development. Unfortunately, this only made the situation worse because of the extreme policies and foreign economic agendas that came with the loans, forcing Jamaica into even further debt. Therefore, it is my opinion that it is because of the policies and greed of the IMF and The World Bank that came along with the loans, that Jamaica is currently 4.5 billion dollars in debt.

Cultural theorists therefore focus their studies on ‘group level processes’ (ibid) when conducting research. However, as highlighted by survey researchers Almond and Verba, by identifying cultural variables, it is almost inevitable that analysts will engage in generalised comparative study. Synthesis can be found between cultural analysis and less rigid forms of structural institutionalism. Political theorist Antonio Gramsci pointed out that coherence between these two schools of thought can be found when considering the fact that whilst, according to Marxist teachings, capitalist societies are based on underlying structural conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, the manifestation of such conflict is dependent on the cultural circumstances of the country concerned. Similarly to culturalists, structuralists adopt a form of methodological holism. Structuralists task themselves with identifying the underlying dynamics that govern social systems as a whole, and upon doing so are able to embark on comparison between larger groups of countries governed by similar systems; they are unconcerned by ‘the ‘micro-details’ of the political process’ (Bara and Pennington, 1997: 26). It is therefore said that a structuralist approach appertains to ‘the relationships - both static and dynamic - among individuals, collectivities, institutions, or organisations’ (Lichbach, 1997: 247).

These institutions and social relationship structures, to remain, put in place hierarchies of power, which evolves with a stint of inequality. As systematic means of maintaining order in such society may necessitate the need for control via force or putting in place an ideology. Thus controlling the way the specific society sees the world and current social relationships appearing natural, normative and inevitable.

When we think about society there is often a stark contrast between the controversy projected in our media about the issues that our society faces and the mellow, safe view we have of our own smaller, more tangible ‘local’ society. This leads us to believe that our way of life is protected and our rights secured by that concept of society that has been fabricated and built upon during the course of our short lives. However, what if society were not what we perceive it to be, and the government chose to exercise its power in an oppressive manner? As a society we would like to think that we ourselves are above such cruelty, yet as The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera recounts the state of Cuba in the 1990’s so must we remember that all societies and governments view the individual differently as opposed to the whole. Each group has unique expectations that are enforced upon the individual goes beyond those expectations. The individual can very quickly find their rose glasses view of their society cracking before their very eyes as the reality of taking such a rise comes into view.

Traditional Marxists also explore the ideological nature of the law; this function is valuable in allowing the ruling class to maintain their position of wealth. This process is what Althusser named the ideological state apparatus. This includes the school and the variety of forms of media, and it is through these that the ruling class is able to socialise individuals into accepting ruling class ideology. ISAs are responsible for promoting ruling class values of self interest and competition and as a result create a society in which basic values support the capitalist political and economic system. Marxists also believe that crime and the law can perform an ideological function by essentially brain washing individuals. For example some laws may appear to benefit the working class for example the health and safety laws at work, but these, according to a Marxist Frank Pearce are only there to benefit the capitalists by ensuring a fit and healthy work force. In addition to this by prosecuting a large proportion of the working class it makes it look like the capitalists are

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." Throughout history, us Proletariats have been oppressed by the Bourgeoisie. They make us factory employees do their work, but they reap the rewards. As many articles have suggested, this must be stopped. Each article provides a unique standpoint on the method of halting this abuse.

Since the time we are born we are fed the lies of capitalism. We are taught that capitalism hurts no one and that capitalism is the only way. Johnson and Robbins have some very influential ideas about capitalism. Johnson writes about the complexity of privilege. He also addresses why some privileged people do not feel privileged through the matrix of capitalist domination. Robbins gives us a background on how privilege became what it is today. He addresses the anatomy of the working class by drawing attention to how they were mobile, divided, powerless, and anxious for a revolution. Through Johnson and Robbins’ eyes we can begin to see how the world is not the one we were taught it was.

Positives of Althusser’s structural approach to ideology are the identification of the methods for alienation and subjection of the working-class and their beliefs, by classifying such forms of misleading ideology it has allowed for the working class to acknowledge their false consciousness and additionally for the sociology of knowledge to advance. On the other hand, (Miller 2002) argues that yes, the ruling class do influence capitalist social norms, however, the notion that ideology regulates and sustains social order has been over analysed and excessively inflated by theorists such as Althusser.

The concepts and analyses that provide a comprehensive look at the mechanisms and power in institutions which practice socio-political domination and oppression. Thus, it raises the question of the proper the political response to the current trends of social irrationality and

The Repressive State Apparatuses, RSAs, control and enforce certain ideologies and laws of societies through the Head of State, government, the police, the army, and courts. In Brazilian slave-society, the ruling class that consisted of slave-owners and white elites controlled the RSAs because they possessed some State power. Hence, if a group, possibly slaves and abolitionists, were to challenge the dominant order, the ruling class could wield RSAs to suppress the attack either through the system of law and court or through more violent means such as incarceration, police, and military force. On the other hand, Ideological State Apparatuses, ISAs, enforce the dominant ideology and accepted facts of society through private domains and institutions, such as schools and universities, church, mass media, family, and culture. Instead of enforcing ideology through fear of punishment, ISAs enforce the dominant ideology through people’s fear of public disapproval. If a group were to deviate from the norm, the dominant ideology, then the group could face unwanted social ridicule. Hence, “All ISAs, whatever they are, contribute to the same result: the reproduction of the relations of production” (Althusser 117). By utilizing both RSAs and ISAs, the ruling class can continually reproduce the

The ideology of Marxism, established by German philosopher Karl Marx, is a collectively known set of assumptions of a political ideology, which focuses especially on analysis of materialist interpretation of historical development, or on class struggle within the society. The primarily approach of Marxism, nonetheless, was the critique of capitalism. The strength of his inquiry lies in belief of inevitable shift from capitalism and he aims to advocate the new form of ideology and economy, the socialism. The title of this essay is provocative as in today´s world, there exist many proponents who claim, the core of Marx conception of ideology is still relevant in the 21st globalised world. However, Marxism is relevant to the extent to which

One major link includes the fight between an oppressed group and their persecutors. Whether it’s the proletariat and the bourgeois in “The Communist Manifesto,” or the inequality of genders in “The Second Sex,” or the flight of the African Americans in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. In all of these texts we are shown how easy it is for one group to abuse their power and create unfair rules and regulations only imposed on the more inferior members of society. Each group of oppressor thrives off of alienating, and subjugating their inferiors.

This paper was prepared for GD530 Economics and the International System, taught by Professor Snow

During this time period the IMF took on a new role of lending to countries on the brink of default. By the mid 1980s, some observers noted that the loan qualifying austerity policies implemented by many borrowers were prolonging and deepening the debtor nations’ problems.