Research paper on Marx and Engels on modern capitalism as a global phenomenon driven by search for cheap and compliant labor force to reduce the costs of production and to enhance profits.
Need to make a clear argument or related set of arguments and you should adopt a formal style of writing with full sentences, proper paragraphs that are connected to each other. Your do not need to have a clear thesis but the paper should be coherently organized.
For this paper, you need to read two pieces by Marx and Engels: “The Communist Manifesto” pages 14-27 and “Wage Labour and Capital”, pages 7-23,
From the two readings, you will be able to find Marx’s analysis of the structural tendency of capitalism to become global as it develops (in The Manifesto of the Communist Party) and the constant struggle between capital and labour (in Wage Labour and Capital) that is the key factor that drives capitalism to become global via the search for cheaper and more compliant labour as well as the search for new markets to sell products.
You will apply the relevant theoretical concepts and formulations from Marx in the two readings attached, to discuss and analyze the events portrayed in the following three documentaries:
“The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire”
and
Made in Bangladesh CBC Documentary
and
“The Ugly Truth about Fast Fashion”
The paper should have:
• a clear introduction,
• a substantive discussion of the key issues and
• conclusion that summarize your sociological understanding of capitalism as discussed in the two documentaries.
The paper should represent a cohesive discussion of the connection between some of the key concepts from Marx and Engels on modern capitalism as a global phenomenon driven by search for cheap and compliant labor force to reduce the costs of production and to enhance profits.
You will need to pull out and apply some relevant quotes from the writings of Marx and Engels to the issues discussed in the documentaries.
Finally, you will have to engage in some research and find two other documentaries on youtube where similar issues – global capitalism, relocation of manufacturing for cheaper and compliant labour, outsourcing etc. – are discussed.
For each of the two extra documentaries on the same topic that you find, you need to summarize their main ideas in two sentences (for each!).
You need to refer to these two extra documentaries and the two texts by Marx and Engels in a bibliography at the end of the research paper.
The end product should be a paper that demonstrates an understanding of the general theoretical perspective of Marx and Engels on capitalism and substantive engagement with the content of the two documentaries. Also connect the content of the course with your lives and the world around you
The following issues should be used as general/overarching guidelines. Your discussion of the documentaries should be framed by the following issues/questions. However, these are NOT questions that have to be ANSWERED.
1. What do Marx and Engels have to say about the “structural” tendency of capitalism to become global ie. search for global markets and cheaper, compliant labour?
2. How does the conflict between capitalist and workers, capital and labor drive the globalization of capitalism?
3. What are some of the social consequences of global capitalism for workers and capitalists both in the “developed” and the “developing” areas?
4. Using the concepts of “structure”, “agency”, “ideology/culture”, provide a brief “reflexive” take on the possible relevance of the documentaries to your own lives – consumption practices, the culture of shopping, fast fashion, work experience etc.
5. Comment on the common claim that after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, labour practices, wages and worker safety have improved globally