February 5th Sociology Notes Marx predictive working class consciousness capitalism class conflict and revolution socialism and communism his predictions failed failed to predict fragmentation of the working class still skilled working class such as construction trades remained a relatively privileged section of social class different conditions of factory workers. Really quite conservative, often in opposition to factory workers fragmentation of the capitalist class didn’t really account for managers also emergence of the professional “class”-- don’t necessarily own means of production but own skill assets, in fact probably greater skills the manager and people who own the means of production Wright’s neo-marxian class model Have been contemporary efforts to update to marxian model key concept: exploitation If Group A leaves with its per capita share of an asset will Group A be better off or worse off? ! better off: were being exploited by group B ! worse off: were exploiting group B Wright used comic strip “The Story of L’ll Abner and the Shmoo” shmoo singular shmoo plural data is data are capitalist talking about exploiting workers in cartoon but workers have gotten used to shmoos so dont want to work but now if all human wants are provided by shmoos no workers and no demand rank ordering of Preferences of different classe for the fate of shmoos
Capitalist Class 1. Only capitalists gets shmoos 2. Destroy the shmoos 3. Everyone gets a shmoo 4. Only workers get shmoos
Working Class 1. Everyone gets a shmoo 2. Only workers get shmoos 3. Only capitalists get shmoos 4. Destroy the shmoos
Three Critereia for Defining Exploitation a) Inverse interdependent welfare principle the material welfare of the advantaged group of people causally depends upon the material deprivations of the disadvantagesd b) the exclusion principle the causal relation in a) involves the exclusion of the disadvantaged group from access to certain important productive resources controlled by the advantaged group c)the labor appropriation principle the causal mechanism which translates b exclusion into a differential welfare include Bases of exploitation property (physical and financial capital) skill authority or organizational assets See Wright’s class typology in both slides and in reading The Weberian Alternative Weber’s economic classes ! Positions in commoditiy and labor markets Position in commodity and labor markets Commodity market: goods and services for Weber economic classes are distinct groups defined in the economic system determined by one’s position in relation to the commodity and labor market. That defined your economic class What determines position in the two markets? Amount ond type of property owned Amount and type of skills Indicated by occupation
An economic class scheme inspired by Weber Professionals and Managers self employed salaried semiprofessionals eg technician routine nonmanual workers eg clerical (and service workers today) skilled manual workers eg tradesman semiskilled manual workers eg machine operators unskilled manual workers eg farmers Weber econ classes distinct groups defined by position in econ system (labor and commodity markets) no specific number (as many classes as distinct market positions) social closure (process of exclusion and withholding opportunities) class matters for individual outcomes no assumption of class collective action pessimistic marx neomarx distinct groups defined by position in econ system (ownership of capital) limited and specified # (2 in ideal type but 5-6 transition classes etc) exploitation
class matters for individual outcomes class collective actions (marx only) optimistic
social closure process by which a group maximizes its advantages by restricting access to priveleges and resources Weber’s system of inequality Market position (economic class) prestige or honor (status group) status group common lifestyle and consumption practices shared honor or prestige how can we
