Max Weber (1864-1920) acknowledged the importance of the
dimension to class stratification but also identified two other sources of
; status and
.
"Status" is perceived social
and respect, and "party" is the influence people may have due to
of a group such as a trade union, pressure group or political organisation.
In reality Weber said that the three sources of class stratification are likely to be
and that the economic dimension is always the most important
Economic DimensionAccording to Weber a person’s class power derives from their market
i.e. whether they are able to command high
, good conditions and
conditions. This will depend on whether the work
they posses are in
or not. A person's economic class location may therefore be
when market conditions change. Upward or downward social
may occur. A person's market position is also affected by their income, skills and
Status DimensionAccording to Weber high social status often comes with an occupation with a
market position but could also be derived from other factors such as
, race, and religion. Status therefore does not always come with
wealth - e.g. a National lottery winner may have great wealth but low status. A bishop or vicar may have high status but a relatively
income.
Read the story behind the picture here!!Party DimensionAccording to Weber membership of or an association with a particular
and the power this gives them can be a determining factor in someone's class
.
Using these dimensions Weber identified four main social classes:
1. Manual workers (the working class)
2. The petty
(self employed and managers)
3. The lower
class (white collar workers and technicians)
4. The privileged through
ownership or educational privilege.
Significance of WeberThe emphasis on status has influenced modern classifications such as the
schema and the NS-SEC scale.
Unlike Marx, Weber cannot be accused of economic
- other factors are taken into consideration
Unlike functionalism stratification and differentiation are not seen as natural consequences of
.