Weberian views on social inequality:
Intro:
Weberianism theory argues that many variables affect people’s
position in the class structure and impacts on their position in
society
Neo-Weberianism tends to refer to analyses of the modern state or
organisation using Weberian principles. For example, using the
Weberian principles of looking at the work situation, occupation and
conditions of employment when describing the social classes
Whilst Marx focused mainly on economic class, Weberian theorists
looked at multiple sources of inequality, including class, status and
party/power
Point 1: Weber’s view
AO2:
Weber was aware of the work of Karl Marx, and accepted some of
his views as to the mature of political and social inequality,
however, he felt Marxism to be too simplistic an explanation of
inequality
Weber was responsible for developing what is known as action
theory, in which he describes people as acting in a way that
responds rationally to the demands made upon them, and responds
according to subjective meaning and emotion
Weber explained inequality and stratification in terms of the
differing amounts of class, status and party that various social
groups could access
Members of low-status groups experience disadvantage and they
are the ones who will take on low-paid, low-skill work. They,
therefore, cannot access either party or class
Weber claimed that, with the increasing complexity of capitalist
society, there would be a growth of social classes. This would come
about because of the differing skills required by the labour market
and would be marked by social differences of habit, spending, taste
and education
Sources of inequality, according to Weber, may include lack of
access to certain roles because of religious status, people may be
denied right/inclusion because of skin colour and gender, and
membership of certain status groups, such as those with extreme
wealth or attendance at an elite school will offer access to power
He argued that social class was based on a person’s market
position, which is basically how much money or wealth they have
and their bargaining power to get this
He also introduced the ideas of power and status as making up a full
picture of a person’s position in society
Status refers to how people are thought of and regarded in society
AO3:
Marx would argue that Weber overcomplicates inequality by splitting
it into class, status and party
Intro:
Weberianism theory argues that many variables affect people’s
position in the class structure and impacts on their position in
society
Neo-Weberianism tends to refer to analyses of the modern state or
organisation using Weberian principles. For example, using the
Weberian principles of looking at the work situation, occupation and
conditions of employment when describing the social classes
Whilst Marx focused mainly on economic class, Weberian theorists
looked at multiple sources of inequality, including class, status and
party/power
Point 1: Weber’s view
AO2:
Weber was aware of the work of Karl Marx, and accepted some of
his views as to the mature of political and social inequality,
however, he felt Marxism to be too simplistic an explanation of
inequality
Weber was responsible for developing what is known as action
theory, in which he describes people as acting in a way that
responds rationally to the demands made upon them, and responds
according to subjective meaning and emotion
Weber explained inequality and stratification in terms of the
differing amounts of class, status and party that various social
groups could access
Members of low-status groups experience disadvantage and they
are the ones who will take on low-paid, low-skill work. They,
therefore, cannot access either party or class
Weber claimed that, with the increasing complexity of capitalist
society, there would be a growth of social classes. This would come
about because of the differing skills required by the labour market
and would be marked by social differences of habit, spending, taste
and education
Sources of inequality, according to Weber, may include lack of
access to certain roles because of religious status, people may be
denied right/inclusion because of skin colour and gender, and
membership of certain status groups, such as those with extreme
wealth or attendance at an elite school will offer access to power
He argued that social class was based on a person’s market
position, which is basically how much money or wealth they have
and their bargaining power to get this
He also introduced the ideas of power and status as making up a full
picture of a person’s position in society
Status refers to how people are thought of and regarded in society
AO3:
Marx would argue that Weber overcomplicates inequality by splitting
it into class, status and party
