SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES ON SOCIAL CLASS

 Theories on Social class.

By Wilbert Masamba

Marxism on social class

Karl Marx: (1818-1883)Asserts that there were two great classes – the owners of the means of production (capitalists) and the workers – the only thing that the workers owned was their ability to work, what Marx called “labor power.” Because owners (capitalists) paid wages to workers and could for the most part determine that wage, owners had power over workers.

 Marx felt that the lack of power of workers was the source of exploitation and the basis of class conflict. Marx argued that owners and workers developed ideas, understandings about their positions and this Marx called class consciousness. When owners convinced workers that their situations were compatible – Marx called this false consciousness.

 Although Marx talked mainly about the two great classes – owners and workers – he was aware as well of a third category which he called petit bourgeoisie – literally little middleclass and these were owners of own small businesses. Finding a location for this group was difficult because they lacked the power if the owners and at the same time had control over their work and wages unlike the workers. Moreover, according to Marx, sometimes they identified with the owners and sometimes with the workers.

Functionalist explanations on social class

- Social class is inevitable in modern

-Society has common value system, so people can be ranked and stratification occurs

- Western societies value achievement and efficiency so there are high rewards for being successful

-Class creates a way of ensuring that all work is done

-Function of education system is to sort out individuals abilities to meet societies needs, those with high rank will be motivated to get great job

-It is necessary for groups to have different levels of wealth and power than others

-Only some individuals can make important decisions so leaders are necessary

-People may get mad at what they don’t have, but functionalist believe this is balanced with the acception of common value system.

-Functionalist  see division of have and have-nots as natural and right

-Any attempt to make things more equal is dangerous because it will cause conflict.

-Feminism and social class

-Most studies are Individual classification (focus on breadwinner) or joint (looking at both partners)

-Fembitches point out that that the money they make is important to household

-Woman can be breadwinner.

-Dual class families where families join to be higher class

-Radical: we should chance our ideas about class. Since women oppressed they want to fight another class-men

-Sylvia  Walby says that men force domestic work out of women so they cant work