BEFORE YOU WATCH: Capitalism and Socialism

Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: preview and skimming for gist

Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.

Second read: key ideas and understanding content

Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.

By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

How, according to John Green, did industrial capitalism change production?
What are some features of capitalism as a cultural system, according to John Green?
What were some short-comings of industrial capitalism in the nineteenth century?
Where did socialism begin as an “intellectual construct”, according to John Green?
What did revolutionary socialist Auguste Blanqui believe?
What were Karl Marx’s main arguments as presented in this video?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters and how it connects to other content you’ve studied.

At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:

John Green says that Karl Marx raises the question of whether capitalism is natural and good, or whether we need to check and control it for our own well-being. What kind of evidence would we use to answer that question for our own society?

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.

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