Theory 1: Marx’s Theory of Social Class
Society is structured around the economic system (capitalism).
Two main classes exist:
Bourgeoisie: own the means of production (factories, businesses, land) and control wealth.
Proletariat: working class who must sell their labour for wages.
Workers produce surplus value (more value than they are paid), creating profit for the bourgeoisie.
This creates class conflict because workers want higher wages while capitalists want greater profits.
Capitalism contains contradictions:
Polarisation: wealth becomes concentrated among the ruling class.
Alienation: workers feel powerless and disconnected from their work.
Economic crises: competition between businesses leads to recessions.
Marx predicted workers would develop class consciousness and overthrow capitalism, leading to communism where resources are shared and class inequality disappears.
Evaluation of Marx’s Social Class Theory
Support and crit from Weber
Agrees with basic economic divisions
More than 2
Status and party forms of stratification
Theory 2: Hegemony
Theorist: Antonio Gramsci
Developed Marx’s ideas to explain why revolution had not occurred in Western capitalist societies.
Introduced hegemony, meaning the ruling class maintains power through cultural and ideological control.
Institutions such as education, media and religion spread ruling-class values.
These ideas make capitalism appear normal and fair, encouraging workers to accept inequality.
This produces false class consciousness, where workers fail to recognise their exploitation.
However, hegemony is never complete, meaning workers can still develop class consciousness and challenge inequality.
Evaluation of Gramsci’s Hegemony Theory
Evidence of resistance: Trade unions and worker strikes show many working-class people recognise exploitation and challenge capitalism.
Global capitalism: Modern power is often held by transnational corporations, meaning power structures are more global and complex than Gramsci described.
Theory 3: Education and Capitalism
Theorists: Bowles and Gintis
Applied Marxist ideas to the education system.
Schools help reproduce class inequality by preparing students for roles in the capitalist workforce.
Education promotes ruling-class values through the hidden curriculum.
Students learn:
obedience to authority
punctuality and discipline
acceptance of hierarchy
competition
This reflects the correspondence principle, where school mirrors workplace structures (teachers = managers, students = workers).
Education therefore legitimises inequality, making it appear that success is based on merit rather than social class.
Evaluation of Bowles and Gintis
Supported by Bernstein: differences in language codes mean working-class students may struggle in education, reinforcing inequality.
Gender critique: Feminists argue the theory ignores gender inequality and focuses only on class.
Theory 4: Deskilling and Labour Process
Theorist: Harry Braverman
Analysed how capitalism organises work.
Introduced the concept of deskilling.
Deskilling occurs when complex jobs are broken into simple repetitive tasks.
Technology and automation reduce the need for skilled workers.
This benefits employers because:
workers are easier to replace
labour costs are lower
managers gain more control
Examples:
robots replacing factory workers
self-service checkouts replacing cashiers
online banking reducing bank staff
Deskilling weakens workers’ bargaining power and reinforces class inequality.
Evaluation of Braverman
Upskilling argument: Some modern jobs require high levels of education and specialist skills, suggesting work is not universally becoming deskilled.
Gender dimension: Braverman focuses mainly on class and ignores how gender also shapes inequality in the workplace.
Conclusion: Functionalist Theory of Social Stratification
• Functionalists argue that social inequality is necessary and beneficial for society, rather than exploitative as Marx claimed.
• According to Davis and Moore, societies require different roles with varying levels of importance and skill.
• More important or highly skilled jobs (e.g. doctors, engineers) must offer higher rewards such as pay, status and power to motivate the most talented individuals to train for them.
• This creates a system of meritocracy, where individuals achieve positions based on ability and effort rather than class background.
• From this perspective, class inequality may reflect differences in talent, skills and contribution to society, rather than exploitation by a ruling class.
• Therefore, functionalists argue that stratification helps ensure the most capable people fill the most important roles, maintaining social stability and efficiency.
