The class theory by Karl Marx is one of the most popular sociological approaches to discussing the processing that happens in the community. According to the perspective articulated by Marx, the proletariat or the workers have to elaborate on class consciousness to improve their lives. It is the only way to avoid social and economic injustice due to the unfair distribution of wealth. The class theory supposes that wealth is accumulated in the hands of the bourgeois, which are not interested in sharing their income with the workers. As a result, the conditions of work and life of the proletarian do not increase, and these people remain poor for generations without any hope for upward social mobility.
It is possible to apply the class theory to understand the news article by Chang, “Louisiana is the world’s prison capital.” The author claims that Louisiana’s imprisonment rate is significantly higher than other states (Chang, 2012). According to the official statistics, one in 14 African American men is imprisoned, and the situation with the detention level has not improved for decades (Chang, 2012). The author of the text writes that “every dollar spent on prisons is a dollar not spent on schools, hospitals and highways” (Chang, 2012, p. 1). This claim corresponds to the ideas articulated by Karl Marx in his theory of class division. The authorities in Louisiana do not try to improve the conditions of life and education of the local population. It leads to the dominance of criminal offenses in the region because these people have no opportunity to escape poverty or life conditions. Educating them and giving them decent employment opportunities are not in the interests of the local government because it does not increase their wealth. Therefore, the proletariat has no options for breaking the cycle of criminal offenses and poor living conditions.
References
Chang, C. (2012). Louisiana is the world’s prison capital. Nola. Web.
Marx, Kart. (1964). The work. Masters of Siological Thought. [Pdf file].