Compare, contrast and evaluate Marx and Weber’s views on social class and inequality Essay Example

"A neo-Marxist theory of the state and politics would also need to reassess the relation between class and politics, and in particular to examine the question whether the main contending groups in present-day capitalist societies are indeed the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. Bottomore, T. (1983) pg 135.

Marx also put forward that eventually the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat would merge making just one class, a classless society.He envisaged that people would come to realise that in order to make the most of their working lives and daily living they need each other and by working together they could achieve this. "Marx's view seems to be that the Proletariat can expect to lead a successful revolution, even where it is not a majority of the population, by the introduction of measures that would gain peasant and lower-middle-class support. Mclellan, D.

(1983) pg 153. Weber's views on social class went further than Marx's, as Weber took capitalisation into thought. Mark realised that capitalisation was important but he failed to consider how much it would eventually play in the downfall of his idea that the two classes would merge. Capitalism was and still is expanding, and it was becoming more stable than Marx could have realised. "Ideology, the system of ideas at the basis of an economic or political theory (Marxist ideology).

" The Oxford Modern English Dictionary, (1992) pg 526.The growth of technology and innovation has meant that capitalism has increased and is always expanding. Capitalisation led to polarization of classes (a growing division between the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat). Marx's focus on production overlooks divisions within classes based on 'market situation' (skills, education, occupation) these bring

different 'life chances' within classes.

This meant that groups within the same class will rarely unite as they are often in conflict with each other e. g. finance capitalists versus industries and workers versus unskilled.Weber's classes are fragmented by competition and rivalry due to different market situations, degrees of status and part affiliations. This means they would never unite in the way Marx thought, hence no chance of communalism taking the place of capitalism. "History can be divided into three great economic epochs or modes of production: ancient, feudal and capitalistic" Morrison, K.

(1995) pg 319. Here it states that Marx only takes economic factors into consideration as a factor of class division. Marx's primary concern was to analyse capitalism and identify the conditions which will bring about its downfall.Marx felt that capitalism was consuming people and that they needed to take a step back and realise that they were almost becoming slaves to their work and ideas, although it was them in actual fact that had brought about capitalism. "The division of labour offers us the first example of how, mans own deed becomes an alien power opposed to him, which enslaves him instead of being controlled by him. " Mark, K and Engles, F (1974) pg 54.

This quote reinforces the idea that Marx felt like people were being consumed by their own ideas.Weber disagreed he believed that without capitalism there would be no form of hierarchy and without this he felt that people would be lost and would not know their place in society. One of the main conflicting views on class between Marx and Weber was the under class. This coexists

with Marx's view that there are no separate classes within a class.

The term underclass is relatively new, however people have long recognised the existence of a section of the 'lower class' that were deemed to be separate from mainstream society.The Lumpen-Proletariat was a term used by Marx to describe the long term unemployed and criminal elements in the nineteenth century in Europe. The attitude of Marx, too many of these people was not a sympathetic one. He thought they could not be trusted to play a progressive role alongside the regular working class.

Marx sometimes used the term 'the dregs of society' to describe the lowest social strata. "An amalgamation of classes is impossible where an amalgamation of interests is impossible also. " Calhoun, C. (1982) pg 127.

This quote suggests that without classes that have the same interests, i. e. the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat then there would be no unity within classes. This was taken from Ernest Jones a follower of Marx. This quote therefore backs up the view that Marx did not sympathise with people from 'The Lumpen Proletariat' and that he saw them as outsiders.

The issue, for Marx then, was not simply about the rich and the poor, his focus concerned two, key indefinable classes at various stages in history, for instance the Bourgeoisie and the industrial Proletariat.Marx supported the working class because they would be forced to play the leading role in bringing about socialism - a classless society. Weber however recognised the problem of the poor and the destitute. He believed that as industrialisation progressed, society would become increasingly subject to the control of bureaucracy, rationality and administration.

Weber believed that in order for every class to develop efficiently then we should recognise every 'branch' of class instead of ignoring it.

Weber argued that status divisions within the working class (the old Victorian distinction between 'rough' and 'respectable' is one example) worked against the development of a unified class identity as envisaged by Marx. " Bradley, H (1992) pg 197. This quote reflects on the idea that Weber recognised the problem of the poor whereas Marx tried to ignore it. It states that within a class there can also be other divisions, for example, the working-class and the Lumpen-Proletariat.Without Marx's theory of social class there would be no complete understanding of Weber's theories.

Weber set out to prove that since Marx's early observations on Class struggle, many substantial changes had taken place in the structure of society. In conclusion, it is clear that neither Marx or Weber's theories are suitable to be utilised on their own and that in fact it would be necessary to culminate each theorist's views in order to gain a wider understanding of social class and inequality.