Analyzing Theory and Practice: Perspectives on the Social World

This essay explores the relationship between theory and practice in understanding the social world, focusing on the relevance of Marxian class theory in contemporary Australia. It discusses the increasing inequality and concentration of wealth, drawing parallels with Marx's analysis of class struggl...Read More

Running head: Theory and practice
Theory and practice
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

Running head: Theory and practice
The relationship between theory and understanding the social world.
Your ideas about theory and different theoretical perspectives - are you clear about
where you stand?
In Australia, there has been a growing recognition of the failure of the modern economy to
provide benefits of every person living in Australia. Australia is facing a rising inequality
from the time of 1980s like other industrialised countries. There is concentration of wealth,
income and power in small group that only represents one per cent of the entire population.
(Murray &Peetz 2013; Piketty 2014). These views correspond with the ideas of Marxian
Class theory, where he corroborated to the facts that the society is divided on the bases of
materialistic accumulation. Marxian Class theory asserts that an individual’s position in the
hierarchy is determined by the role they play in the production process and argues that the
political and ideological is determined by class position. My ideas regarding Marxian theory
of class theory corroborates the fact of increasing bipolar tendencies of global amassing of
capital. I stand supporting the idea.
Can you see the relationship between theory and practice in any particular contexts you
are familiar with?
He also stated and both the class represents group that have innate conflicting
attitude, which results in the conflicting tendencies of such group. In his views, he admits that
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles… Freeman and
slaves…”. According to him, the conflict is the driving forces of history and determinants of
social trajectories. His theorization dates back to 18th- and 19th- century, has not lost his
relevance completely. The bipolar nature of the society has still not been eradicated with the
development of technology and science, rather there is reinforcement of it. For example the
financial crisis of 2008, when the housing bubble burst or when 2001 dotcom crisis or so on.

Running head: Theory and practice
These incidents keeps us reminding that something is right about the present situation. Chief
executive belonging from financial elite group stated that there is rise of ‘plutonomy’ that
refers to an economy that is powered by the wealthy and particularly the English speaking
industrialised societies. The profit share of the national income has risen at the expense of the
wages share of 1980s in Australia (Ellis & Smith 2007). The countries that have high shares
of income going to the top level has animate tendency, where the inter-generational mobility
is lower, high level of child poverty and health and social problem are getting worse
((Mishel, Bernstein &Shierholz 2009; Stilwell & Jordan 2007).The
nature of workplace has changed from the time of 1980s and even with the introduction of
technology in the labourmarket; the intensity of the work has remained the same. The
insecurities related to casual work has increased and the workers that ranges from shift of
capital to labour are demanding greater flexibility. Form the situation stated above, it is clear
that the power in the hands of the worker has not increased, rather it reaffirms to the position
of that, Karl Marx has stated long back in 18th- and 19th- century. With the onset of liberal era,
the redistribution of incomes and power has accompanied the spread of the ‘liberal market’ or
the ideas of neo-liberal policies. These policies where initiated to foster cooperation and
increase economic efficiency and performance. However, with the globalization project,
thing did not stand out the way it was thought to have been. In Australia, the productivity
growth has moved closer to the long term tends of Fair Work Act, but there is acceleration of
the ‘fiscal mess’ comparable to Europe. The fiscal “mess” is reacted to net public debt is
nearly to one sixth the average across advanced industrialized countries. However even in
that situation, the situation of the workers is getting worse because the entire burden is on
them because they are held responsible for this mess. Thus as Marx has famously stated ta
“Rich are getting richer and poorer are getting poor” is currently quiet feasible to the situation
of Australia.

Running head: Theory and practice
Is there a body of theory or specific theorist/theory that you would like to pursue
further?
I would like pursue the critical theorist because they provide me with the insight that
is very useful for me realise what the wrong is going with the society.

Running head: Theory and practice
References
Hay, I., 2016. On plutonomy: Economy, power and the wealthy few in the Second Gilded
Age. Handbook on Wealth and the Super-Rich. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, pp.68-93.
https://vuws.westernsydney.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-4353255-dt-content-rid-30212260_1/
courses/102179_2019_aut/Workshop%202%20slides%20Marxism%20and%20Beyond.pdf
(this is file that I saw from your website)
Peetz, D., 2015. Are Australian trade unions part of the solution, or part of the
problem?. Autralian Review of Public Affairs.
Pisters, K.M., Evans, W.K., Azzoli, C.G., Kris, M.G., Smith, C.A., Desch, C.E., Somerfield,
M.R., Brouwers, M.C., Darling, G., Ellis, P.M. and Gaspar, L.E., 2007. Cancer Care Ontario
and American Society of Clinical Oncology adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant radiation
therapy for stages I-IIIA resectable non–small-cell lung cancer guideline. Journal of clinical
oncology, 25(34), pp.5506-5518.