Social Class

When sociologists talk of social class, they refer to a group of individuals who occupy a similar position in the economic system of production.

• Upper Class – Elite
• Upper Middle Class
• Lower Middle Class
• Working Class
• Poor

There are two classical sociologists who are most important in the discussions about class – Karl Marx and Max Weber.

Karl Marx:

Assertion 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 middle class 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.

Max Weber:  

The other sociologist was Max Weber. He argued that class referred to economic interests. It was a quantifiable economic position – groups that share a common set of life-chances and circumstances. 

• But Weber also talked about status, prestige – important part was awareness of its value. 
• Weber also talked about party – essentially putting the class interests into action.