Social Class — Concepts and Perspectives

3.1 Marxist Perspective on Class

Karl Marx (1818–1883) defined class by relationship to the means of production:

• Bourgeoisie (capitalists) — own the means of production (factories, land, capital).
• Proletariat (workers) — sell their labour for wages.
• Class conflict is the engine of history; capitalism generates exploitation (surplus value appropriated by bourgeoisie) leading to inevitable revolution.
• False consciousness: Workers accept exploitative conditions as natural — prevented from recognising their true class interests.

India context: Marx's binary class model does not fully apply to India's agrarian, semi-feudal society. B.R. Ambedkar argued that caste hierarchies cut across class lines — a poor Brahmin and a rich Dalit are separated not just by wealth but by ritual status.

3.2 Weberian Perspective

Max Weber (1864–1920) offered a multidimensional view:

• Class (Klasse): Market position — income, wealth, occupation.
• Status (Stand): Social prestige — honour, lifestyle.
• Party: Political power and organization.
• Unlike Marx, Weber did not reduce all inequality to economics. Status groups (like castes) can be primary dividers independent of class.

3.3 Social Mobility

Social mobility = movement of individuals or groups between social positions.

• Vertical mobility: Moving up (upward) or down (downward) in the social hierarchy.
• Horizontal mobility: Moving between positions of equal rank (e.g., changing occupation at the same income level).
• Intergenerational mobility: Children achieving different social positions than parents.
• Intragenerational mobility: Individual's own movement during lifetime.

India: Is mobility increasing? Evidence is mixed:

• Yes: Reservation policy has created a Dalit middle class; IT sector has allowed caste-neutral meritocracy; inter-caste marriages rising (0.8% of marriages, IHDS 2016).
• No: Occupational inheritance remains strong in rural areas; top wealth concentration has not diversified significantly by caste.

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