Samantha Armendariz

Soc. 410 MW 1:00-2:15

29 April 2016

Exploitation: Marx and Wilson

According to (Allan, 2013), William Julius Wilson explains three different theories for

inequality in the modern age. First, he uses Marxs theory of elitism to explain how power

structures come to dominate the lower classes through the state. Then he describes what is called

split market theory that explains how certain workers vying for the same job decrease the

working wages of those earners. This creates conditions for a market that favors capitalists. The

opposite condition produces a more desirable situation for workers when there are more jobs

than workers available to fill them. Wages then become higher and workers have more choice.

Recently, he says, the United States has moved away from voting to use government power to

combat social inequity. Wilson also identifies a difference between beliefs and practices of

racism in the U.S., stating that people who have beliefs about the inferiority or superiority of

different races may not actually act on them. When there is an absence of government structures

to impose racism institutionally, class and the labor market, he says, become more important in

issues of gender or racial inequality (Allan, 2013).

Currently, it appears that in our state of California the labor market is split toward one

where there are more workers for jobs available. Karl Marxs model of exploitation of workers in

theory theoretically applies to fast food laborers. The basis of exploitation would require that the

product of their labor, however, would be worth more than the wages that they have earned. It is

arguable whether or not a McDonalds drive through cashier creates a product that delivers

substantively more value than they earn. As the minimum wage stands to be raised in California
it seemingly jeopardizes and throws the labor market into potential disarray. Recently I saw on

KTLA morning news that a few businesses are working on developing robotic solutions to

counteract the minimum wage raise. This trend will perhaps devalue the importance of race,

class, and gender in the future as the difference between human and non-human workers

becomes the main focus of concern. An elitist theory could explain how those who can afford to

develop and implement the kind of technology that will replace workers would benefit from such

a system.

Already in our society ATMs and robotic checkout machines at the grocery store have

started to perform jobs that used to be completely dependent on human assistance and input.

They are being slowly phased in, it would seem, and as the years go by they will take over more

and more of the roles that humans and laborers traditionally have done. The initial reaction to

this by the common laborer who is to be replaced by machines is typically outrage, but the bigger

picture seems to imply that the cost of goods would become cheaper over time. This places

laborers in a unique role over time where they might be totally replaced in all lines of work.

Business intelligence systems have already started wiping out entire departments of workers who

have had advanced degrees from prestigious universities. An example of this concept would be

the ATM systems that have replaced bank tellers. With the other monetary technologies

surfacing and programs run entirely by neutral third party computer programs issues of racism

might become more and more infrequent.

Access to education is another area where the boundaries are being blurred by

technology. Yale, for instance, offers entire courses online for free to anyone who wishes to

benefit from them. More information is available than ever before, and the average thirteen-year-

old in Africa with a smart phone has more processing power in his pocket than the president of
the United States did in the late nineteen-seventies. This really goes a long way, I believe, in

leveling the playing field for people from all different backgrounds and classes, and will

hopefully continue to allow personal choice to be the determining factor in social mobility.

References

Allan, K. (2013). The Social lens an Invitation to Social and Sociological Theory. Los Angeles,

Calif.: Sage Publications.