Bourgeoisie and Proletariat
In this article we will provide you the information about Bourgeoisie and Proletariat along with definition Characteristics Similarities Differences and FAQs.
What does bourgeoisie mean?
The bourgeoisierefers to citizens of the upper middle class, also known as the affluent middle class. This social class is made up of people who have reached a relatively high level in their profession and have good financial assets. The bourgeoisie generally enjoys additional privileges and economic resources to meet their material needs, allowing them to live a more luxurious lifestyle than the rest of society. Their political influence is significant since they often contribute to the economic development of the country or region through business investments or technique of studying, instructing, depicting historical past, expressing ourselves and passing data. An anthropologist will agree that cultural patronage. In summary, the bourgeoisie is the social group located between the rich and poor sectors, characterized by their accumulated wealth and privileged position within the socioeconomic structure.
What does proletariat mean?
The proletariat is a concept derived from Marxist historical materialism. It refers to salaried workers who are forced to sell their labor power in order to survive in a capitalist system. These workers are exploited by capital, since they receive only part of what they produce and have no control over their working conditions or the general direction of the company. The proletariat forms the social basis of capitalism by representing much of the working class and is in opposition to the dominant classes, such as capitalists and landowners, whose wealth depends directly on the value generated by wage labor.
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Origin of the bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie emerged in the Middle Ages, specifically in Europe, when the main source of work was still rural activity, although there were already merchants of clothing, jewelry and spices, as well as artisans.
Therefore, the term bourgeoisie was used to designate people who had left the countryside and rural activity to move and live within the walled cities in new spaces called burgos. However, these people were looked down upon by the nobility.
It should be noted that the bourgeoisie were not feudal lords or serfs, nor did they belong to privileged classes such as the nobility, the clergy or the peasantry.
Since then, the bourgeoisie has increased and in the 18th century the bourgeoisie ideologically expressed their values and interests regarding the individual, work, innovation, progress, happiness, freedom and equal conditions, themes summarized in the French revolutionary motto: liberté , égalité , fraternité .
Likewise, it was the bourgeoisie who actively participated in the French Revolution and in the Industrial Revolution, demanding their social rights, political rights and economic rights.
On the other hand, with the emergence of the bourgeoisie, bipartisanship originated in the political system, after the French Revolution, which consists of the composition of two majority parties, in this case, the bourgeois party on the one hand and the aristocracy. for the other.
Currently, people who belong to the middle class or who have their own business are called bourgeoisie. However, there is also a derogatory use of the term bourgeoisie since it is used to catalog common and vulgar people who do not have very good taste.
Characteristics of the bourgeoisie
Below are the main characteristics of the bourgeoisie.
- It is made up of levels at which groups of individuals differ according to their wealth, work activity and prestige.
- Its fundamental value is to recognize civil rights and the division of powers.
- It is based on the conception that states must have a representative political system.
- The bourgeois can hold political office.
- The bourgeoisie can form select groups of people of great economic and political influence.
- It benefits from capitalist economic activity.
- It establishes the differences between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
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Similarities between bourgeoisie and proletariat
The bourgeoisie and the proletariatThey are two social groups that have existed since the Industrial Revolution. Both have similarities in terms of income, social status and power relations. The bourgeoisie includes those people with large amounts of financial resources or who own some type of property, while the proletariat refers to those people without assets or direct access to significant productive factors. The members of the former enjoy greater political, economic and social influence; For their part, the members of the second depend mainly on wages to obtain their means of subsistence. Many times there is a gap between both classes due to the distance in terms of educational level, which prevents them from making their way towards a better standard of living.
Differences between bourgeoisie and proletariat
The bourgeoisie and the proletariatThey are two different social classes, whose lines of separation go back to the origins of the Industrial Revolution. The bourgeoisie was an emerging class that emerged when people were able to accumulate enough capital to acquire and maintain property. These individuals were known as capitalists and were part of the upper middle or aristocratic class. On the other hand, the proletariat was a group made up of manual workers without any property or access to capital, who depended on the work accidents with sick leave, and unpaid leave for personal matters. In the latter case, the firm may cut the employee’s salary from their work days as the only means of subsistence. Members of the proletariat generally lack formal education and significant political influence, while the Bourgeoisie has greater control over economic and political affairs at all levels of government.
Frequent questions
What is a proletarian person?
A proletarian person is one who belongs to the working class, that is, those who work to earn a work accidents with sick leave, and unpaid leave for personal matters. In the latter case, the firm may cut the employee’s salary and do not own property. These people are generally day laborers or factory workers with a low level of education and little quality of life. These patients are limited in their ability to generate their own income.
What is the proletariat for Karl Marx?
The proletariat is the social group of workers in Marxist theory. According to Marx, the proletariat is characterized by not owning the means of production and being forced to sell their labor power to obtain a work accidents with sick leave, and unpaid leave for personal matters. In the latter case, the firm may cut the employee’s salary. This makes them economically dependent on the capitalist or owner of the company, with whom they maintain an unequal relationship. Members of the proletariat must subordinate themselves to the power of the capitalist and are destined to be exploited to generate profits.
What is the proletariat and its characteristics?
The proletariat is a social class made up of salaried workers. These people have no property except their skills and labor power, which they use to earn a wage. The main characteristics of the proletariat are economic dependence on other social groups (especially those with capital), the imbalance between the income and wealth accumulated by other groups compared to their own precarious financial situation, and their limited degree of political participation.
Where did the proletarians live?
Proletarians often lived in slums or industrial cities, where they could get work to earn a living. These areas were generally characterized by low wages, inadequate working conditions, and a shortage of social services. In addition, many proletarians were housed in popular houses, built by the government to offer an alternative to high market prices.
