What are the differences between infrastructure and superstructure?

"Superstructure" is an aspect of Marxist theory that refers to cultural norms and beliefs. It includes cultural institutions such as religion and the state. The "infrastructure," also referred to as the base or substructure, refers to the workings of the economy. Infrastructure is defined as the forces and relations of production, or in other words, the relations and labor divisions between employees and employers. Marxist analysis understands society as the exploitation of the working class, or proletariat, by those who own the means of production, or the bourgeoisie. The infrastructure is, essentially, the set of forces that maintain the domination of the working class by the owning class.

According to Marx, the superstructure and infrastructure maintain and support each other, with the infrastructure serving as a more dominant force in the creation of social relations. The ideologies of the superstructure naturalize and support the economic workings of the infrastructure. In return, the infrastructure shapes and maintains the superstructure.