Social Stratification According to Marx and Weber

Social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of individuals into divisions of power and wealth within a society. Social stratification relates to the socio-economic concept of class, consisting of the upper class, middle class, and lower class. Each class may be further subdivided into smaller classes through the main indicator is occupation. This is the most practical and most effective means of encompassing the wide variety of economic and social elements that go to make up a person’s class through their education, status, income and power. Evidence shows that wealth is distributed unequally and that incomes vary from small to huge. The old idea of Britain’s class structure was comprised as a triangular shape; with increasing†¦show more content†¦However, this suggests that Britain’s class structure is becoming fragmented. On the other hand, Weberians suggests that the middle class is fragmented into competing status groups for example, professionals and managers. Zweig (1961) argued that a section of the working class has adopted the economic and cultural lifestyle of the middle class, the embourgeoisement thesis. Since the 1960s, skilled manual workers have seen an improvement in wages and better living standards, often exceeding those of some of the middle class. However, despite big improvements in living standards and lifestyles, there are still differences that separate affluent manual workers from the middle class which suggests that embourgeoisement has not occurred. For example, their high wages were only obtained through overtime and shift working. Also, lack fringe benefits and have limited promotion opportunities. This was shown in Goldthorpe and Lockwood’s famous study of a car factory in Luton (1969). However, they argue that there was signs of convergence between working class and middle class lifestyles, but concluded that, rather than an increase in the middle class, what had emerged was a new working class. Therefore, shows that the working class have fragmented into at least two different ways, firstly the traditional working class, in decline and typically situated in the North of England. Secondly, a new working class found in the newerShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Marxist and Weberian Theories of Stratification1525 Words   |  7 PagesQ: Compare and Contrast Marxist and Weberian Theories of Stratification. The purpose of this essay is to compare, contrast and critically evaluate Marxist and Weberian theories of stratification. To do this effectively this essay must explain and consider the main features, claims and perspectives of both Karl Marx and Max Weber. O’Donnell (1992) defines social stratification as â€Å"the division of a society or group into hierarchically ordered layers. 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