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Preferred term

surplus value  

Definition

  • Surplus value is an instructive concept for the study of consumer culture insofar as it provides a way of thinking about the social and economic relations underpinning the production of the commodities consumed. In Karl Marx's analysis of capitalism and class conflict, the creation and retention of surplus value was positioned as the main source of profit and the key mechanism through which the proletariat are exploited by the bourgeoisie. [Source: Encyclopedia of Consumer Culture; Surplus Value]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/surplus_value

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