Sociology Plus
Definition
According to Marxist theory, advanced capitalism represents the culmination of capitalism’s regeneration and is characterized by increased governmental intervention in the economy and ownership concentration to manage the more frequent and severe economic crises. According to Marxism, this stage will ultimately end with the last crisis and shift towards socialism. In reality, capitalism has shown to be extraordinarily resilient in contrast to Marxist assumptions and continues to be at an advanced level.
Explanation
Marx thought society goes through 10 phases of evolution, although he was mainly focused on the final three. Stage 8 is referred to as advanced capitalism in Marxian economics. Marx believed that this stage of capitalism is an economic system focused on profit and the pursuit of maximal profit.
People fall into two broad types under capitalism, and a third one called lumpenproletariat is a more specialized smaller category. There is the bourgeoisie, the wealthy owners of the resources, equipment, and supplies used in manufacturing, such as factories, which includes technology. The proletariat, low-paid factory workers, comprise the next group. The lumpenproletariat is made up of those who are unemployed forever.
Marx lived in an era of capitalism, which is very different from contemporary social scientists’ understanding of the current form of capitalism in the United States. There were many children working since there were no labor rules, and hiring kids was much more cost-effective than hiring adults.
The bourgeoisie would recruit kids even if they couldn’t fully handle the physical or mental demands of the work because they wanted to maximize profits. Many members of the proletariat were hurt since no inspectors ensured that the workplace was secure. Because there was no workers’ compensation insurance, the injured proletariat had to make the tough decision of continuing to work while injured or quitting to take time off to recover. If they leave the workforce, they have to starve to death.
Because the bourgeoisie could use the increasing membership of the lumpenproletariat as a rod against any worker who dared request a rise, wages were meager. As it was pretty simple to find a member of the lumpenproletariat who might work for the original salary or much lower, the person who demanded raise would be sacked.