Evaluate social class as a sociological concept

Authors Avatar by sammy3112 (student)

Steve Garner                Candidate No: 697265

IDENTITIES AND INEQUALITIES

       FOR: STEVE GARNER

Evaluate “social class” as a sociological concept

The sociological concept of social class has been distinguished in many ways by many theorists. Many people represent social class simply as class, “a recognized form of social stratification by economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society”.  For this assignment I will examine “social class” as a sociological concept and the ways in which different sociologists represent social class over given time.

Functionalists are theorists that see society in a “positive way and tend to see the good” in everything. For functionalists “stratification is something which is beneficial and positive”, as this is what structures humans into the norms and values in society.

Meritocracy is the main view of a functionalist.  Talcott parsons argued that “education is like a bridge between the family and wider society. Preparing us for adult roles in society”.   Thus in modern society today we are judged on our status, which is achieved through education. This is available to everyone from young age, as “schools operate on a meritocratic principle” therefore everyone is treated in the same way and everyone has the same chance to succeed, thus those who do succeed and make an effort will be rewarded, as they will fill the most important jobs in society, and will have enough money to enjoy the pleasures in life; however those who don’t, will have to work harder to support themselves and their families. Thus it is education what divides us different class structures in society and how we are recognized by others.

Marx Weber’s view on social stratification was quiet “multidimensional. He believed that social stratification involved three distinct dimensions of inequality. “A property class is primarily determined by property differences, a commercial class by the marketability of goods and services and a social class makes the totality of those class situations within which individual and generational mobility is easy and typical.Thus he suggested that class was divided by ones “economic position, status and power”.

Join now!

Marxists tend to see society in a negative way. These sociologists tend to believe that “society is dominated by the ruling class”. Therefore society is based on “conflict between the ruling class and the working class”.

Karl Marx was the creator of the Marxist theory. He believed that the capitalist society had split into two class systems. The “bourgeoisie who were the owners of capital, purchasing and exploiting labour power, using the surplus value from employment of this labour power to accumulate or expand their capital; and the “proletariat the mere owners of labour power with no resources other than the ability to ...

This is a preview of the whole essay