Class and Stratification: A Comparative Perspective

Class Stratification presents a new approach to the sociological study of stratification by anchoring it in individual behaviour. The authors argue that class position is a centrally important factor in determining the opportunities open to people and the constraints that they face in their everyday lives. The essence of class stratification is thus the unequal location of people and families within a structure of social power.Beginning with an examination of what sociologists mean by stratification (and class stratification in particular), the authors go on to discuss the legacy of Marx and Weber and the ideas of six contemporary class theorists. The book draws on data from Eastern and Central Europe, as well as the United States and Western Europe to show why class continues to be a centrally important concept in understanding contemporary societies.