This clip consults how the film is trying to portray the third world trying to get into the first..
Theory
Karl Marx on class theory
Social class (or simply
"class"), as in a class society, is a set of concepts in the social
sciences and political theory centered on models of social
stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchical social
categories, the most common being the upper, middle, and lower
classes. According to philosopher Karl Marx, "class" is
determined entirely by one's relationship to the means of production, the
classes in modern capitalist society being the "proletarians":
those who work but do not own the means of production, the "bourgeoisie":
those who invest and live off of the surplus generated by the former, and the aristocracy that
has land as a means of production. Class consciousness is not simply an
awareness of one's own class interest but is also a set of shared views
regarding how society should be organized legally, culturally, socially and
politically. These class relations are reproduced through time.
Consequence of Class position
A person's socioeconomic class has wide-ranging
effects. It may determine the schools they are able to attend, the jobs open to
them, who they may marry, and their treatment by police and the courts. A
person's social class has a significant impact on their educational
opportunities. Not only are upper-class parents able to send their children to
exclusive schools that are perceived to be better, but in many places
state-supported schools for children of the upper class are of a much higher
quality than those the state provides for children of the lower classes. This lack of good schools is one
factor that perpetuates the class divide across generations. A person's
social class has a significant impact on their physical health, their ability
to receive adequate medical care and nutrition, and their life expectancy. Lower-class people experience a wide array of
health problems as a result of their economic status. They are unable to use
health care as often, and when they do it is of lower quality, even though they
generally tend to experience a much higher rate of health issues. Lower-class
families have higher rates of infant
mortality, cancer, cardiovascular
disease, and disabling physical injuries.
Additionally, poor people tend to work in much more hazardous conditions, yet
generally have much less (if any) health insurance provided for them, as
compared to middle and upper class workers. The
conditions at a person's job vary greatly depending on class. Those in the
upper-middle class and middle class enjoy greater freedoms in their
occupations. They are usually more respected, enjoy more diversity, and are
able to exhibit some authority. Those in lower classes tend to feel more
alienated and have lower work satisfaction overall. Blue-collar workers are more
apt to suffer alienating, often routine, work with obvious physical health
hazards, injury, and even death.
Class
conflict
Class
conflict, frequently referred to as "class warfare" or "class
struggle," is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests and desires between people
of different classes. For Marx, the history of class society was a history of
class conflict. He pointed to the successful rise of the bourgeoisie, and the
necessity of revolutionary violence—a heightened form of class conflict—in
securing the bourgeoisie rights that supported the capitalist economy. Marx
believed that the exploitation and poverty inherent in capitalism were a
pre-existing form of class conflict. Marx believed that wage labourers would
need to revolt to bring about a more equitable distribution of wealth and political power.
Relationship
between race and class
Particular races or ethnic groups in some
societies are legally or customarily restricted to occupying particular class
positions. Which ethnicities are considered as belonging to high or low classes
varies from society to society. In modern societies strict legal links between
ethnicity and class have been drawn, such as in apartheid, the caste
system in Africa.
Elite Theory
The theory posits that a small minority, consisting of members
of the economic elite and policy-planning networks, holds the most power and that this
power is independent of a state's democratic elections process.
The aristocratic version of this theory is the
classical elite theory which is based on two ideas:
1.
Power lies
in position of authority in key economic and political institutions.
2.
The
psychological difference that sets elites apart is that they have personal
resources, for instance intelligence and skills, and a vested interest in the
government; while the rest are incompetent and do not have the capabilities of
governing themselves, the elite are resourceful and will strive to make the
government work. For in reality, the elite have the most to lose in a failed
government.
Mosca emphasized the sociological and
personal characteristics of elites. He said elites are an organized minority
and that the masses are an unorganized majority. The ruling class is composed
of the ruling elite and the sub-elites. He divides the world into two groups:
1.
Ruling
class
2.
Class
that is ruled
Mosca asserts that elites have intellectual, moral, and
material superiority that is highly esteemed and influential.
Theory
of Alienation
The theoretic basis of alienation, within the capitalist
mode of production, is that the worker invariably
loses the ability to determine his or her life and destiny, when deprived of
the right to think (conceive) of himself as the director of his actions; to
determine the character of said actions; to define relationships with other
people; and to own the things and use the value of the goods and services,
produced with his or her labour. Although the worker is an autonomous,
self-realised human being, as an economic entity, he or she is directed to goals
and diverted to activities that are dictated by the bourgeoisie, who own the means
of production, in order to extract from the worker
the maximum amount of surplus
value, in the course of business competition among
industrialists.
Film Reviews
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10258064/Elysium-review.html - 'Not only has mankind built a heaven in hell’s despair; they’ve privatised it.'
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-review-elysium--not-quite-the-best-of-both-worlds-8780994.html - ' this plot is at the same time too busy and too simple; there are too many characters but too little characterisation'
Articles
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10244979/Neill-Blomkamp-interview-Elysium-isnt-science-fiction.-Its-now.html - This article expresses how director Neil Blomkamp feels that the entire film is an allegory. He feels that the issues seen throughout the film for example issues regarding health care, immigration, economic disparities and environmental decay are issues that are present to this day.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/17/elysium-neill-bloomkamp-interview - This interview talks about how Neil Blomkamp feels as though that the only way to change a persons thinking and prejudices, we'd have to develop a technology that will do it for us. He further says 'We are literally genetically coded to preserve life, procreate and get food – and that's not gonna change. The question is whether you can somehow overpower certain parts of that mammalian DNA and try to give some of your money out, try to take your wealth and pour it out for the rest of the planet.'
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/17301 - This film is said to be an allegory for class warfare. 'The pay gap between American CEOs and workers has grown by 1,000% in the last 63 years (data from Bloomberg, April 2013).' This article also expresses that capitalism should be replaced by socialism to equality and real change.
Online Comments
https://solidarity-us.org/node/3962- 'Elysium is an excellent modern day fantasy epic. It represents what is likely the best political standpoint possible in a $90 million dollar Hollywood blockbuster.' This comment informs the reader Elysium is linked to social conflict and also talks about issues that are regarding the working class. Writer 'Jase Short' says that this science fiction is a working class fantasy.
http://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2013/08/24/film-review-elysium-dystopia-and-class-conflict/ - This comment talks about Elysium tackling class conflict. Also this comment has subtitles 'Dystopia of Neglect vs Dystopia of Control' 'Revolution vs Reform' and also talks about advances of technology. "In many dystopian narratives, technology itself becomes the antagonist."
http://www.etonline.com/movies/136994_Elysium_Los_Angeles_Premiere_Cast_on_Film_s_Social_Issues/ -
This article says that although the film is set 141 years into the future, writer, producer, and director Neill Blomkamp says the events and themes of the film are not futuristic by any means; they are now. " the film doesn't impose any issues upon the viewer, but rather it's critics who are choosing to focus on the social issues."
Books
Social Class, How does it work? - Annette Lareau, 2008
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