Stratification and Working Class Decline
A large amount of the sociological debate on social class has focused on whether the working class is in decline or more recently if they are perhaps becoming middle class. Modern politicians often suggest that we are living in a "classless society", Tony Blair in 2000 stated that the "class struggle has ended."
Karl Marx (1818-83) however believed that there are two classes in a capitalist society, the bourgeoisie, who owns the means of production and the workers, who are exploited because they could only survive by selling their labour power to the bourgeoisie. Marx's immiseration thesis predicted that class divisions would become more polarised as intermediate classes merged with either the bourgeoisie or sink into the working class.
Max Weber (1864-1920) distinguished class groupings into four categories, these being the propertied class, the property less white-collar workers, the petty bourgeoisie and the manual working class. Weber predictions in sharp contrast to Marx were that the changes in industry would lead to a diversification amongst the classes which would in turn cause the middle class to expand rather than polarise into the working class.
The working class contains different sub-cultures; one of these being the proletarian traditionalist. This section of the working class were usually found in small close knit communities and the males were employed in long established industries such as mining, docking and shipbuilding. These workers possess a strong sense of belonging and solidarity. They were united in their support for the Labour party and trade unionism. The work they done was usually dangerous and they were badly paid. Although there was no job security they possessed huge pride in their craft and the skills they had. The proletarian traditionalist is not an individualist; David Lockwood (1966) describes " a public and present orientated conviviality" which " eschews individual striving to be different." Unlike the middle class proletarian traditionalists do not pursue individual achievement by trying to gain promotion at work or success in running their own business. Rather they identify strongly with the pursuit of collective goals.
A large amount of the sociological debate on social class has focused on whether the working class is in decline or more recently if they are perhaps becoming middle class. Modern politicians often suggest that we are living in a "classless society", Tony Blair in 2000 stated that the "class struggle has ended."
Karl Marx (1818-83) however believed that there are two classes in a capitalist society, the bourgeoisie, who owns the means of production and the workers, who are exploited because they could only survive by selling their labour power to the bourgeoisie. Marx's immiseration thesis predicted that class divisions would become more polarised as intermediate classes merged with either the bourgeoisie or sink into the working class.
Max Weber (1864-1920) distinguished class groupings into four categories, these being the propertied class, the property less white-collar workers, the petty bourgeoisie and the manual working class. Weber predictions in sharp contrast to Marx were that the changes in industry would lead to a diversification amongst the classes which would in turn cause the middle class to expand rather than polarise into the working class.
The working class contains different sub-cultures; one of these being the proletarian traditionalist. This section of the working class were usually found in small close knit communities and the males were employed in long established industries such as mining, docking and shipbuilding. These workers possess a strong sense of belonging and solidarity. They were united in their support for the Labour party and trade unionism. The work they done was usually dangerous and they were badly paid. Although there was no job security they possessed huge pride in their craft and the skills they had. The proletarian traditionalist is not an individualist; David Lockwood (1966) describes " a public and present orientated conviviality" which " eschews individual striving to be different." Unlike the middle class proletarian traditionalists do not pursue individual achievement by trying to gain promotion at work or success in running their own business. Rather they identify strongly with the pursuit of collective goals.
