IF3062 Culture, Family & Power: Examining Marxist Revolution Theory

This essay delves into the intricate relationship between culture, family, and power, primarily through the lens of Marxist theory. It begins by explaining Marx's theory of revolution, highlighting the conflict between the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat and the development of class consciousness. The essay connects this theory to the French Revolution, emphasizing the role of Enlightenment ideals in fostering revolutionary sentiment. Furthermore, it discusses the relevance of Marxist ideas in contemporary society, pointing to ongoing instances of discrimination and the persistent demand for democratic rights globally. The essay uses the student's personal reflections and global conflicts to illustrate the continued importance of Marxist perspectives in understanding social unrest and revolutionary movements, referencing the course material from IF3062 'Culture, Family and Power'. The essay concludes by underscoring the historical significance of revolutions in shaping human societies.

Running Head: CULTURE, FAMILY AND POWER
CULTURE, FAMILY AND POWER
NAME OF THE STUDENT
NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY
AUTHOR’S NOTE

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QUOTE CHOSEN from “Dead White Men and Other Important people”
“Before the French Revolution happened there had been another set of events that made
both it, and industrialism and capitalism, possible. The Enlightenment was the time in the first
half of the eighteenth century when freethinkers tried to apply reason to all the problems that
had, up to that point, either been simply accepted as not needing explanation, or being a
consequence of God’s will. It started in France, Scotland and a few other countries, but then
gradually spread to the rest of the world.” Page number – 32 Chapter – In at the Deep
QUESTION A
What big idea or theory does this quote refer to? Identify and explain the theory in your
own words, showing how the quote relates to it. Refer to relevant theorists where
appropriate.
Ans- This quote Marx’s theory of Revolution. According to Marx, the human civilization
progresses as a result of the revolution which takes place in certain epochs (Aron 2017). These
revolution takes place due to the development of class consciousness which develops amongst
the afflicted classes. According to Karl Marx, there are two groups of people who are in constant
conflict with each other. The group which are in possession of the factors of production are
known as the Bourgeoisie while the group which are not in control of the means of production
are the Proletariat. The Bourgeoisie class exploits the Proletariat to an extent where the
proletariat develops class-consciousness and organizes a revolution to overthrow the existing
authoritarian rule and then a new epoch is started (Eastman 2017). Mila’s reference to the French
Revolution implies the revolution which occurred in France and was instigated by the rise of
radical thinking and introspection amongst the intelligentsia of France who had developed class

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consciousness and were dissatisfied with the existing rule of King Louis XVI of France. The rise
in the feelings of class-consciousness amongst the masses results in the development of mutual
feelings of anger and disappointment against the existing rule and this results in the rise of the
revolutionary movements amongst the afflicted class and they attempt to overthrow the existing
rule. The events before the French Revolution such as the Enlightenment resulted in the rise of
the feelings of class consciousness amongst the French people and they demanded their rights
and freedom which they were denied under the tyrannical rule of King Louis XVI of France.
QUESTION B
Explain how this idea/ theory relate to you and/or contemporary society.
Ans- One way Marx’s theory and the French Revolution relates to today’s society is that
the discrimination is still present in today’s societies although the dynamics of the discrimination
have changed. Marx’s ideas about Revolution are still relevant today in the modern world
because of the rise in the demands for democratic rights and freedom in even those countries
where freedom has been denied for a long time such as the Middle Eastern countries of Egypt
and Tunisia. In today’s society with the rise of inequality and discrimination, there is a greater
rise in the feelings of class-consciousness among the groups of people living in the marginalized
communities (Singer 2018). The recent events of conflicts going on in the world present a valid
point of highlighting the relevance of the Marxist theories of Revolution. The conflicts in the
middle eastern countries, the Latin American countries or the South East Asian countries are
testimony to the fact that Marx’s theory of Revolution is still relevant in the modern world. The
existence of the feelings of unrest among the people who have been discriminated shows that
people have a natural tendency to seek justice and work for availing the better facilities in life.
Marxist theories of Revolution highlights that the human history has been filled with revolutions

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and revolutions have shaped human histories for a long time (Lenin and Chretien 2015). In my
experience, the feelings of unrest among a group of people for a long time can escalate the
conflicts amongst the people and this eventually results in the Revolutionary movements.

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REFERENCES
Aron, R., 2017. Main currents in sociological thought: Montesquieu, comte, marx, tocqueville
and the sociologists and the revolution of 1848. Routledge.
Eastman, M., 2017. Marx, Lenin and the science of revolution (Vol. 1). Routledge.
Lenin, V.I. and Chretien, T., 2015. State and revolution. Haymarket Books.
Singer, P., 2018. Marx: A very short introduction. Oxford university press.