Is There a Difference Between Materialist and Idealist?

I want to ask a question about the distinction between materialist and idealist explanations of this kind of thing. I usually I don't refer to technological change like Marxists do, and they would probably not call me a materialist. But that is especially a classical Marxist example of being a Materialist. And you're saying you're coming from the Marxist tradition that you've mostly shed but are more persuaded by some of the more materialist explanations.