Karl Marx has developed several approaches to explaining the relationships within a capitalist society. The theory of production relations refers to the relationship that exists between those who own the means of production, mainly capitalists or bourgeoisie, and those who do not, who are the workers or the proletariat (Cohen, 2020). The interaction between the method of production and the relations of production, according to Marx, is how history evolves. The method of production is continually evolving toward its maximal productive capability, but this evolution produces tensions amongst the parties involved.
The means of production theory relates to my life because, as a student, I do not own any production means. Hence, I am dependent on the people who own the means of production, for example, my future employer. The mode of production is always evolving toward its highest productive capability, but this evolution causes tensions between the classes of people defined by production relations—owners and employees. Capitalism is a method of production in which the means of production are owned by private individuals (Cohen, 2020). Currently, the US is a capitalist state, which means that the relationships between owners of production and employees are based on the theory that Marx voiced.
Capitalists manufacture commodities for the exchange market, and in order to remain competitive, they must extract as much labor as possible from employees at the lowest feasible cost. This means that the goal of capitalists is to exploit the workforce; however, in relation to my life, I think that there is a sufficient number of institutions, such as labor unions, which can protect me as an employee. The capitalist’s economic interest is to pay the worker the least amount of money feasible, just enough to keep him alive and productive. Workers, in turn, realize that preventing the capitalist from exploiting them in this way is in their best economic interests. However, in the context of my life, I understand that I will need to work for an organization, and I have the social and legal systems in place that will protect my rights. Therefore, I do not think that capitalist means of production will exploit me or my work.
Marx also developed the four stages of alienation theory, which consists of the following: “the product of labor, the process of labor, others, and self” (Cohen, 2020, p. 50). Considering my own life, I can relate to these stages, as typically, the product of work does not belong to the worker. For example, the jobs that I have had in the past were primarily part-time, and everything I produced was attributed to the company.
When I worked at a famous fast-food restaurant, I was alienated from the product of labor and process of labor. Mainly, I worked under a specified process where each step was designated, which alienated me from the process of labor, as I could not affect it in any way. The product of my labor was also alienated from me, as these dishes were mass-produced and identical to one another. However, I think that there are jobs where an employee can own his means of production and product of labor, although these are primarily creative professions. For example, a journalist or a designer can typically retain the creative rights for their work, depending on the contract they have. However, my experience supports the four stages of alienation that Marx described.
Reference
Cohen, G. A. (2020). Karl Marx’s theory of history: A defence. Princeton University Press.