Investigation of The Role of Production Within Community Through Tocqueville and Marx’s Theories

In this paper I argue the role of production within community using both Tocqueville and Marx’s theories. Tocqueville speaks about voluntary association being positive for community whereas Marx, speaks about the forced labour and slavery.

Tocqueville also discusses how voluntary labour aids at one’s sense of belonging, whereas Marx discusses a loss of sense of self through labour. Inequality is apparent in labour and Tocqueville discusses the hierarchy and its role, and Marx argues how social structure and social locations indicate one’s privileges. When looking at production we can think of voluntary vs forced labour, a sense of self, and inequality. Production can have positive and negative implications within a community. Voluntary association is people working and coming together to do something for the common good, such as, Americans combining to give fêtes, found seminaries, building churches, distributing books. In democratic communities, people found themselves helpless if they did not commit to voluntary association. Though there is an obstacle for democratic societies, it is easier for aristocratic societies to form voluntary associations than democrats. This is because aristocrats have a hierarchy with each level holding greater weight in society, so a few associates is enough to influence others and agree on rules. Thus, production brings togetherness through labour, if there is no voluntary association people would fall back and be “barbarians” and turn into the opposite of community which is individualism.

Production can also be negative, Marx (1844) argues a materialist approach, that society needs material needs and those in charge of production are people who are forced to do labour because of their social location. This affects the nature of whole institutions, one must sell their labour to get the needs they want such as food. The mode of production of material life is the base, and determines the social, political and spiritual processes of life. For example, proletarians do not own property, so in order to survive one does not have a choice but to sell their labour on the market while the bourgeoise can hire and pay someone for their production. Those in charge of production can be described as slaves and miserable because they lack power and their production results into competition. It is evident that Tocqueville views production within a community more positive than Marx. Through labour one can either feel a sense of belonging or not depending on the circumstance.

Like I mentioned before, voluntary association creates togetherness, working towards a common goal. Tocqueville (1835-1840) argues that the community is seen as a family and feel obligated to them rather than alienated. One feels a good sense of self because they are a part of a community where everyone is inclusive. An example today is, the education institution, the common goal professors, teaching assistants, principles, etc is to help students succeed. Professors and teaching assistants can be seen as a family, who work together to help their students. Tocqueville (1835-1840) emphasizes that collective goods are not exclusive, therefore everyone belongs and is sharing a common good, for example clean air is shared amongst everyone within a certain community. Without voluntary association it will lead to individualism, where everyone works for their own advantage which will create competition, a struggle between classes and hatred. By promoting social capital, we get people to work together and gain trust and support, which are positive traits for community.

Unlike Marx, he does not view the community promoting a sense of belonging. There is a connection between private property, selfishness and labour which all connects to alienation. Alienation meaning distancing from community and the self which does not promote sense of belonging. According to Marx (1844), production allows men to appear as slaves to his object, the more one produces means the more valueless and worthless one becomes. The worker therefore feels like a “stranger”. His labour is not voluntary it is compulsory for the bourgeoisie to buy their products. Marx (1844) compares animals and men, he argues that animals work for their needs for itself and but men produces for the community only, products belong to animals whereas man can separate from his product. This is similar to one putting dedication to an assignment, a part of them is taken away once it is handed in. The pleasure we take in production should be available but it is taken away in a capitalist society. Production within a community causes inequality. Tocqueville (1835-1840), speaks of despotism where there is isolation of men and egoism is present. Despotism is dangerous and feared in all communities because it creates barriers to keep men apart, it makes them not to think of their fellows which will increase inequality. Despotism allows indifference to be a public virtue which allows people to lack sympathy towards others. Privileged families tend to stay in the same position. In a democratic community no one's position is stable, new families rise and others fall.

Marx also looks at hierarchies and social structures influencing inequality. The working class tend to have more pressure on them to produce more products to sell in order to achieve their needs, ie food, while privileged people don’t need to work as hard to get their needs. Proletarians are willing to ignore their interests to produce for the universe. Social structure means systems of opportunity, an example is imagine a young boy from Ethiopia, wanting to grow up to be an astronaut, and a boy from the US wanting to be an astronaut, the boy from US has a greater chance because of his social location, in the US people are more privileged because of production, and education. When you have different classes within a community, you have different fundamental interests, for example, the proletariat are of a lower class and their interests is to earn money through their production in order to survive where, the bourgeoisie own means of production.

Production plays a major role within community. If my argument is valid, then a broader implication for sociology is that if there is no change and a balance of equality and freedom this will cause the rich to continue getting richer and the poor getting poorer. There must be sympathy towards one another so there is less violence within our world. If the community does not change for the better intersectionality will continue to be a growing problem in society today.