As we grow as a society, sought after items often change. Our capitalistic society’s superstructure base often changes, forcing items to its different classes to be consumed and enjoyed. Popular things come and go, having values placed on them by how popular they are. Society is based upon labor power being bought and sold to obtain these often sought after commodities.
The use value of items in a society such as the ones we live in today pertains to the people that have those items. They are only considered valuable to a person if they can be “used”. An example of this would be this computer I am typing on. Someone like me can use it to surf the web, watch movies, or even type this blog. If someone without electricity to plug it in and charge had it, they would see no value in it. Also someone that works with windows software, seeing that my laptop is mac, could also see the laptop as not useful. Seeing that I am a Macintosh fanatic, it has more value in my eyes.
The exchange value of an commodity seems to correlate to that of an item’s use value. This can be seen from such things as Craigslist, or other bartering or selling places. Depending on how much someone wants an item is how much someone is willing to pay. There are more people in Chicago, so there may be more of a chance that someone will want to buy an item than somewhere that has less of a population. If you have something that someone would want, there is a great possibility that you can get a higher exchange value for your item then you thought because they see the use value of your item as higher than you do.
Television shows like Pawn Stars or Antiques Road show an average of what society as a whole perceives the value of an item to be. These values are somewhat based on commodity fetishism, in which the value of that item is only what the eye of the beholder sees it to be. Most of the items on these shows may only be enjoyed by collectors and enthusiasts alike, so the value is perceived to be much higher because there is such a limited supply of the item.
When two like items have a different value, factors like labor power are taken into effect. Such things like cars or guitars can range in value drastically. The means of production for the two cars or guitars may be totally different. Common production cars may be produced factory line style where they are just being shelled out for the general public by the proletarian class. The more “high class” cars, such as Ferraris or Lamborghinis are more custom made, sometimes solely by one person. This gives the car a more personal feel, and something that the “Bourgeoisie” of today place a higher value on.
As a whole society, the United States of America, and most of the world, are run by the perception of value of items. The constant trading of items and money for items that have equal value is all on the worth of these items. Marx uses an example that an ounce of gold and an ounce of iron do not have the same values. A ton of iron and two ounces of gold would have about the same exchange value in society’s eyes.
The way to thrive in a society like this is to figure out what the public wants, and then use your, and possibly other persons labor powers. You must seek out areas that have high use values for the items that you are producing, like making tractors in rural America as opposed to trying to sell them in urban areas where they have no use to them. The economic base of this capitalistic economy is all based on the value placed upon items at the time and place of exchange.
The use value of items in a society such as the ones we live in today pertains to the people that have those items. They are only considered valuable to a person if they can be “used”. An example of this would be this computer I am typing on. Someone like me can use it to surf the web, watch movies, or even type this blog. If someone without electricity to plug it in and charge had it, they would see no value in it. Also someone that works with windows software, seeing that my laptop is mac, could also see the laptop as not useful. Seeing that I am a Macintosh fanatic, it has more value in my eyes.
The exchange value of an commodity seems to correlate to that of an item’s use value. This can be seen from such things as Craigslist, or other bartering or selling places. Depending on how much someone wants an item is how much someone is willing to pay. There are more people in Chicago, so there may be more of a chance that someone will want to buy an item than somewhere that has less of a population. If you have something that someone would want, there is a great possibility that you can get a higher exchange value for your item then you thought because they see the use value of your item as higher than you do.
Television shows like Pawn Stars or Antiques Road show an average of what society as a whole perceives the value of an item to be. These values are somewhat based on commodity fetishism, in which the value of that item is only what the eye of the beholder sees it to be. Most of the items on these shows may only be enjoyed by collectors and enthusiasts alike, so the value is perceived to be much higher because there is such a limited supply of the item.
When two like items have a different value, factors like labor power are taken into effect. Such things like cars or guitars can range in value drastically. The means of production for the two cars or guitars may be totally different. Common production cars may be produced factory line style where they are just being shelled out for the general public by the proletarian class. The more “high class” cars, such as Ferraris or Lamborghinis are more custom made, sometimes solely by one person. This gives the car a more personal feel, and something that the “Bourgeoisie” of today place a higher value on.
As a whole society, the United States of America, and most of the world, are run by the perception of value of items. The constant trading of items and money for items that have equal value is all on the worth of these items. Marx uses an example that an ounce of gold and an ounce of iron do not have the same values. A ton of iron and two ounces of gold would have about the same exchange value in society’s eyes.
The way to thrive in a society like this is to figure out what the public wants, and then use your, and possibly other persons labor powers. You must seek out areas that have high use values for the items that you are producing, like making tractors in rural America as opposed to trying to sell them in urban areas where they have no use to them. The economic base of this capitalistic economy is all based on the value placed upon items at the time and place of exchange.