One of the key assumptions of Marxist thought is that economic class is the most significant form of division within society.  All other divisions or distinctions (e.g. race, gender, age, religion) are false, or of secondary importance.

Does this assumption seem applicable to contemporary American society?  How strong of a role does class seem to play in peoples’ political and social identities?  Is class more or less effective of a means of political organization and mobilization than other significant factors (e.g. race, gender)?  If possible, provide some contemporary examples of instances where class interest / identity seems to be highly relevant or clearly irrelevant.

Discussion Grading Rubric

Quantity of Participation (20 points total)

Original Responses to Discussion Questions

•   Full Participation (10 points): One or more original posts in response to the discussion questions
•   No Participation (0 points): No original posts in response to the discussion questions
  Replies to Classmates’ Posts
•   Full Participation (10 points): Two or more replies to classmates’ posts
•   Partial Participation (5 points): One reply to classmates’ posts
•   No Participation (0 points): No replies to classmates’ posts
  Quality of Participation (30 points total)
  Original Responses to Discussion Questions
•   Excellent (10 points): Your posts demonstrate an excellent level of effort and consideration of the content of this module.
•   Generally Good (8 points): Your posts demonstrate a generally good level of effort and consideration of the content of this module.
•   Needs Improvement (5 points): Your posts demonstrate a limited level of effort and consideration of the content of this module.
•   Unsatisfactory (2 points): Your posts demonstrate little to no consideration of the content of this module.
  Replies to Classmates’ Posts
•   Excellent (10 points): Your replies represent a very meaningful contribution to this module’s discussion.
•   Generally Good (8 points): Your replies represent a meaningful contribution to this module’s discussion.
•   Needs Improvement (5 points): Your replies represent a limited contribution to this module’s discussion. For future modules, I would encourage you
  to try more engagement with your classmates.
•   Unsatisfactory (2 points): Your replies demonstrate little to no effort to contribute to this module’s discussion.
  Style and Netiquette
•   Excellent (10 points): Excellent writing in this module, with no concerns regarding spelling, grammar, or disrespectful interactions.
•   Generally Good (8 points): No concerns regarding spelling, grammar, or disrespectful interactions.
•   Needs Improvement (5 points): Your discussion posts contained some issues related to errors of spelling and grammar or disrespectful interaction
  with other students. See comments for additional information on how to improve on these issues.
•  Unsatisfactory (2 points): Your discussion posts contained significant issues related to errors of spelling and grammar or disrespectful interaction with
  other students. See comments for additional information.

Maximum length 1 paragraph and a half

, No citations or quotations or large vocabulary