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Marx famously wrote that ‘the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles’.

He points to Ancient Rome and the Greeks to demonstrate that struggles between the exploiting and the exploited classes have always existed. He and others like him believe that excessive power and domination of one class over another may hold a society together for a small period of time, but will eventually lead to a rising rage and desire for emancipation from the oppressed. Power and domination, which lead to exploitation, are elements that will not hold a society together for long. Rather, solidarity is what sustains and consolidates societies.

Bearing Marx’s arguments in mind, let’s look at the interesting ethnographic example of Japan after WWII, when workers at the company Unikon Camera decided to organise and create a union. This was strongly opposed by their employers, who fired and threatened them with violence. Anti-Communist banners were placed in their neighbourhoods and many families were also threatened. However, in 1969, workers decided to come together again and form a union in secret. What was extraordinary about this event was that despite all the opposition from the employers of the company, despite all the threats and power they were trying to implement, this was not enough to keep the workers silent.

This gave rise to solidarity amongst them, and through secret planning, education and awareness of their rights found in the Japanese constitution, partnership with other unions and above all, companionship, unity and a strong sense of leadership, an official Unikon union finally formed in the 1970’s. The workers became more class conscious, as well as more aware of their rights to organise and bargain. This historical example serves to show that although power could not be overthrown, it could be challenged through massive protests. Marx would argue that this serves as proof that the more power and domination is exercised, the less stable a society will be.

However, not all disparities in power between groups of people have to be exploitative in nature, as the famous French sociologist Durkheim would argue. For example, the Nuer in Southern Sudan reflects a society with mechanical solidarity that gives power and domination to certain individuals within clans to maintain a social order. Mechanical solidarity can be seen in societies where there is approximately equal division of labour and where common interests, beliefs, religion and thoughts form a common collective conscience.

During periods of seasonal drought, otherwise separate communities within the Nuer people come together to more fertile areas in order to share their food and water. While there are not ‘governmental organs’ that set rules and laws in the society, there are various clans that are segmented by genealogical and ancestral lines. Moreover, the different tribes unite together when opposed to external forces such as the Dinka, which is another group of people in the surrounding region.

The rules found in the roots of the organisation of these separated but co-operative communities form the basis for governance with one group having authority and setting rules for the whole. This ethnographic example serves to show that although it may be true that excessive power and domination, as Marx said, would be detrimental, I believe that there needs to be a definite source of power and authority in order to maintain order. Additionally, as one can see with the Nuer, social solidarity and a source of authority can perfectly coexist.

Certainly, these ethnographic studies into Japan post WWII and the Nuer people in Sudan are of relevance today. This is a year where we have seen a widespread backlash against the establishment and the elites. Across the pond, the American people have decided that the next President of the United States will be a man who does not have any governing or political experience, whose biggest claim to fame is as the star of a reality TV show, who “hates” the media and journalists. Here in Europe, we have witnessed one of the clearest repudiations of the experts and elites in Brexit, as well as the surging popularity of populist, extremist parties in Poland, Hungary and France.

Our societies have not been so divided or polarised in a long time, particularly between classes of people. Certainly, excessive power and domination of the will of a group of people over another has served to create the problems we are witnessing. If power and authority is exercised to a point of oppression and exploitation, it is clear that it will not be able to hold a society together. Perhaps it would be useful for us to learn from the example of the Nuer in Sudan. Despite its different social organisation, it may sound weird, but they may teach us how to improve the way in which our societies mediate between conflicting interests. That certainly seems a better way of tackling growing populism and extremism within our societies than what we have done so far.

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