Political Science Module 3:
Marxism & Structural Theories of Power

Module 3 introduces Marxism as a structural theory of power by arguing that politics cannot be understood only through leaders, laws, and institutions, but also through economics, class, labor, ownership, and production. The module explains how Karl Marx saw industrial capitalism as a system that created both great wealth and deep inequality, and how he argued that conflict between owners and workers was built into the structure of capitalism itself. It also introduces major Marxist ideas such as the mode of production, historical materialism, dialectical materialism, class struggle, alienation, socialism, and communism.

The module also shows how Marxism moved from theory into political revolution through Lenin and later influenced broader structural theories of power. At the same time, it stresses that while Marx identified real problems such as exploitation, inequality, and concentrated economic power, Marxist-inspired governments often produced severe repression, authoritarianism, and mass suffering. Overall, the module presents Marxism as one of the most influential and controversial ways of understanding how economic structures shape political life, social conflict, and historical change.