Sociology Question:Please Help?

Question

How can I relate conflict/critical approach to our bad economy and high rates of unemployment?

Answer 1

Conflict theorists believe that everything is based on a struggle of power, and that all of a society's laws are constructed by those in power to keep them in power and to keep all that threaten their position in power at bay.

Therefore, you can take a look at our high rates of unemployment and relate them to how this is tied to power.

Conflict theory predicts that social standing and wealth is related to power and your connection to industry (for instance, whether you are the daughter of Donald Trump, or maybe the heir of a railroad company).

Therefore according to conflict theory, perhaps those that are currently unemployed are simply unable to gain any power because they were not born privileged and they might have no connection to industry - basically, disposable unskilled laborers. What I mean by disposable and unskilled is people straight out of high school or maybe even drop outs that don't have an "in" to get a job based on employment, or maybe have an education that has no prestige or social standing in today's economic market.

Now to take the conflict approach further - since those that are in power want to remain in power and to become further wealthy, you might talk a look at corporate outsourcing. Companies are shutting jobs out by the thousands every year in America and moving companies overseas to where standards are horrifying - low wages, no health care, no unions, no basic environmental standards or efficiency standards. This is a means to increase their wealth and a way to pull the rug out from potential social climbers beneath them. After all, conflict theory is all about the struggle for power in society and the ability to keep it.

Our economy is also suffering because of outsourcing and because of how the rich upper crust (those in power) own a majority of material wealth in America and intend to keep it. An example of this type of corruption is the Walton family, the founders of Walmart - the founder, Sam Walton, and three of his kids are all in the top 10 WEALTHIEST people in America. Walmart took in 12 billion in cold, hard profit - that is after all expenses and wages paid. And yet, statistically 90% of ALL their employees are on welfare, they are constantly in court defending themselves for endless safety and human rights violations, they pay horribly, offer no benefits. If any of the Walton kids took 1 billion dollars off their yearly income, more than half of their employees could be paid properly and wouldn't have to live off the government's dime, which further dogs our economy.

Anyway, I LOVE conflict theory, it's my favorite sociological approach. I hope I started you off on the right path with this.