2 - Class

• Weber suggests an economic hierarchy similar to Marx's idea of capital. It involves the unequal access of any person/group to possessions of wealth. He moves away from Marx's two class model to define class in terms of position in the economic market place or 'market situation'.
• The higher the person in the economic marketplace, the more opportunities given to them for higher standards of living. Those who are low in the 'market situation' will not have these opportunities.
• Social classes are clusters of jobs with similar life chances and patterns of mobility:

  • Propertied class - has money, power and status
  • Professional class - white-collar workers (have some money and power)
  • Petty bourgeoisie - small business owners (less status and power, they're only significant in their communities)
  • Manual Working class - no money, power or status
• Skills improve market position. The market serves to divide and subdivide classes becoming more complex.
• Wealth is a significant element to class as increasing bureaucracy, that accompanies capitalism, leads to status differences.
• There will be a growth of classes linked to different educational skills and qualifications and their power.
• Evaluate class:

  • Difficult to group some people.
  • Unlike Marx, Weber believes social class will constantly develop and depend on chances and lifestyle not polarising and specific to 'rich get richer'.
  • Both show an upper class but Weber is more applicable as two jobs will differ significantly yet both non-owners of means of production e.g. doctor and unemployed.