(2) Marx explained that alienation from productive activity emerged from the laboring process and this is the inability of the workers to control their labor and self defining characteristics of labor activity labor is alienated under capitalism and workers faces division of labor which will lead to specialization in a fixed area of work or task by the capitalist or the employer, in the attached reading maid to order the 5th paragraph suggest alienation from productive activity, the narrator explained how the use of their own methods where criticized and not allowed but only the use of supervisory skill of the customers (home owners and capitalist). This restriction of worker from using their own methods will bar them from realising their full range of labor activity and alternatives to it, this according to Marx alienates man from productive activity. The capitalist also alienates the worker from productive activity by fixing the wage, hours of work and the job task, this can be seen in the 6th paragraph where the narrator explained what the merry maids promised him (his wage and hours of work) the extent to which he was alienated from productive activity.
Marx explained that for capitalism to be achieved commodity and money have to put into a system of social relations that involves (1) forcing workers to separate from their productive activity, this can be seen in paragraph 5 and 6 of the maid to order where the narrator explained how they where only subject to use supervisory skills and not their own methods, and also paragraph 6 explained how merry maids (capitalist) fixes his wages, and hours of work this shows the extent to which the employer controls his labor activity(2)private ownership of property ,companies and industry, like the merry maids where the narrator works under as one out of many cleaners (3) a system of exchange controlling buying and selling. Capitalist exploit labor and maximizes profit and wealth by expanding labor, this was achieved by recruiting more workers, they work hard to produce things of great value to the capitalist but the employer pay less (under payment), this can be seen in the 4th paragraph of maids to order where the narrators boss that he could double his business overnight if only he could find enough reliable employee.
Also Marx concept of relations in flux which is simply about how workers were alienated to produce free wage labor i.e. the ability extract the truth or wealth from a worker by the use of punishment or torture, the workers body belongs to the employer (capitalist) as slave and extraction of wealth from the worker depends on how the employer punishes the worker to give him satisfaction and desire. In the maids to order the narrator explained in the 1st paragraph how they were made to scrub floor in the old fashion way, on their hands and knees, this is a punishment and violence posed by capitalism (Frankenstein) in order to maximize the industry’s profit because if hands were not used then machines would have been purchased to do the job which will increase the merry maid’s spending And also he referred the cleaning job as a physically punishing occupation In the 11th paragraph.
Marx’s concept of class explained that the state is formed on the basis of class structure and also defines class in relations to means of production. The bourgeois (capitalist and upper class) dominate and oppress the proletariats (working class), by employing the proletariats to work for him and the proletariats suffers violence, dictation and alienation (Frankenstein) when working for the bourgeois, the narrator in the maid to order refer the cleaning job in the 9th paragraph as a physically punishing occupation simply because he must have suffered class domination, exploitation and violence. The 5th paragraph also suggests class inequality, where the home owners (bourgeoisie) condemn the working class methods but suggest application of his. Also the 3rd paragraph explained that the franchise owners are usually middle class white person, and explained that the employer (middle class) and the maid (working class) relationship is morally vexing, this shows the extent to which each class is separated from one another and shows the level of inequality between classes in the society as a whole.
Marx concept of feminism explained how women were sexually discriminated against, suffered sexual division of labor and division of power and the problem posed by this differentiation between men and women. Marx explained how women where denied equal labor activity and power as men in the society and in the family,
Feminist struggled to balance the relationship between gender and economy, this can be seen in the 3rd paragraph where the narrator explained that the cleaning services has abolished the mistress maid relationship and took to employing male maids. This is sex discrimination because the maids are traditionally females so abolishing the mistress maid relationship is sex discrimination.
(3) Marx believes things like personal dependency, independent and freedom to relationship mediate social relationship, which are impersonal and mediated or influenced by things such as money and bureaucracy i.e.. Which made it different to the pre-modern world. (Aboriginal society).
In the aboriginal world free individual exist, like individual hunting and family farming but in modern world things like capitalism and alienation made free individuality not possible but made interdependency inevitable, Marx explained that capitalism is a system of social relations and social relations between individual is interdependency. Capitalism involves labor alienation, economic production and class inequality structures or determines the social relation of individual, the fact that productive activity and the mode of production shapes people’s social relations, then people in a capitalist economy will face private means of production and the mode of exchange also influence the social relations, the capitalist acquire his wealth from the workers (proletariats) and the workers lives on wages of their labor, also Marx explained that in capitalism a money and commodities have to be transformed into a system of social relation where labor activity is alienated ,private ownership of property and a capitalistic system of exchange.
According to Marx in capitalism” power…domination over the circumstances and condition in which individual must live”. (Sayer.D 1991) i.e. Marx explained that capitalism replaces personal dependency and useful labor with universal dependency and abstract labor.
Marx explained that money is “a commodity, an external object, capable of becoming the private property of any individual”(Sayer. D 1991 PG 67) i.e. possession of money can shape your social relations in terms of your spending, consumption, and power in a society. The money you have or that you earn (per capital income) can shape you day to day activities and relations to consumption e.g. if you earn low then you spend low and on low or cheap commodities in terms of quality and quantity.spendings and budgets is also a of social outcome of capitalist modernity. Capitalists possesses money which made them acquire social, economicand production power and gain labor control money can make you acquire all forms of social powers and domination ands Marx believes money is an external object but can fetch private needs and the extent to which you possesses this will also determines your social class i.e. if you are rich then you are a upper and if you are poor then you will be rated as a lower or a working class.
Commodity according to Marx emerged under capitalism and it mode of production and exchange influences the social relations of individual. After production commodities have to be bought and sold and must be capable of satisfying one’s need and exchange value. Marx explained that commodity and money need to be transformed into asocial relation to achieve capitalism, which is a system of social relation. The commodity you consume or you choose can influence social relations e.g. a commodity which is greatly demanded and consumed by the people will lead to the need of producer to expand labor to maximize profit and can make other producers start to produce the same demanded commodity. Also the reason for your consumption of a commodity is because it fetches you satisfaction e.g. cosmetics fetches you beauty, and a new cloth can make you younger and sexier so human social relations becomes thing like.
Class according to Marx can be defined in relationship to the means of production and can be found in a capitalist mode of production, alsothat the state is formed on the basis of class structure, the domination of the proletariats by the bourgeoisie is as result of relationship to the means of production. Normally your social class gives you a social identity and influences you every day activities and thinking i.e. it will reflect on your social relations to other, labor activity politics e.g. If you are a working class in the U.K then automatically you will vote and support the labor party simply because their policies, aims, and objectives favors you. Your social class defines who you are and will reflect on all you do this is inevitable. In relationship to others, if a capitalist needs to fill a vacant post of a high level, he will definitely choose a candidate of his background or close to his class and not from other lower classes.
Marx belief authority in bureaucracy is hierarchical, and according to Marx“bureaucracy is a hierarchy of knowledge and authority is the basis of it’s knowledge and the claims to knowledge the basis of it’s authority (Sayer.D 1991 pg. 78) i.e.. In bureaucracy individual have faith and obey the authority (government) who passes informations through it officials like the civil service to the entire people of a state who obey and take to it use. This was possible because the government was believed to be capable of ruling (knowledge) and the election or rightful succession gave government it right to rule (authority). Bureaucracy can influence social relations’ interms of people being ruled from the top and taking to their policies and orders, which can change their entire life like tax, increase. Capitalist bureaucrats also possess this to dominate and control their employees, since the employee obeys and take to their employers orders to shape and fix their labor activity, then this total submission of labor activity to the employer will influence and change their normal social relation e.g. if you are formally self employed and your relationship then is dependent but getting employed by a capitalist then bureaucracy in capitalism will change your social relations to inter-dependence because you now work as a subject to a capitalist.
