Sociology Index

SOCIALISM

Socialism is a political doctrine that believes in the principle of collectivity. Socialism as a political doctrine does not accept individualism as the foundation for economic and social life. Socialism and socialists have always been favour of state and co-operative ownership of economic resources, economic equality of condition. Perspectives on when socialism is feasible can be reconciled by seeing the arguments in terms of specific techno-economic paradigm, underpinned by their own concepts of the division of labour. Milbank’s arguments for Christian socialism is an alternative complex space that conceives of community as nomadic city, and a free market economy based on the practice of gift-giving.

Socialism and socialists have always been in favour of state and democratic rule and management of economic and social institutions. In the years following World War Two the countries of Eastern Europe fell under the rule of Communist parties. For two decades the societies of this region underwent major state-directed social change.

Communism differs from socialism because it contemplates revolutionary social change, not just in electoral politics. John Stuart Mill's socialist view is that capitalist economies should at some point undergo a spontaneous and incremental process of socialization. Marxism is philosophical, political, economic and sociological ideas associated with Karl Marx and his collaborator Frederick Engels.

During Czech state socialism, the concept of masculinity was devoid of any alternative model. Dominant ideology took over the main model. The former Soviet Union is undergoing a transition from centrally planned socialism to a new system. The legacy of the former system impedes the transition to capitalism.