Approaches to class analysis

Cover; Half-title; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Figures; Tables; Contributors; Introduction; 1 Foundations of a neo-Marxist class analysis; The big picture: what the Marxist concept of class is all about; Conceptual components of class analysis; The explanatory claims: the fundamental metathesis of class analysis; Marxist class analysis; The pay-off: what are the advantages of the Marxist strategy of class analysis?; 2 Foundations of a neo-Weberian class analysis; Introduction; Social class in the work of Max Weber; The aims of class analysis.

The idea of class is hotly debated. Some people believe that classes have largely dissolved in contemporary societies; others believe class remains one of the fundamental forms of social inequality and social power. This book surveys six major approaches to the analysis of class

Few themes have been as central to sociology as 'class' and yet class remains a perpetually contested idea. Sociologists disagree not only on how best to define the concept of class but on its general role in social theory and indeed on its continued relevance to the sociological analysis of contemporary society. Some people believe that classes have largely dissolved in contemporary societies; others believe class remains one of the fundamental forms of social inequality and social power. Some see class as a narrow economic phenomenon whilst others adopt an expansive conception that includes cultural dimensions as well as economic conditions. This 2005 book explores the theoretical foundations of six major perspectives of class with each chapter written by an expert in the field. It concludes with a conceptual map of these alternative approaches by posing the question: 'If class is the answer, what is the question?'