Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society

Abstract

In the middle of the twentieth century, the sociologist finds himself in an awkward position.While he is just beginning to lay and secure the foundations of his discipline, an impatient public demands with increasing urgency both immediately applicable and comprehen- sive solutions from him.Following almost every sociological confer- ence, confident journalists charge sociologists with being either igno- rant of practical problems or incapable of solving them.Like an angry creditor, the public pursues the sociologist's every move in order to lay its hands on every penny he may produce.Is it surprising that under these conditions many a sociologist has begun to forge currency.? The public deserves no better j but unfortunately the false currency, Preface to the First (German) Edition Generalizing theoretical formulation and its empirical test are balanced in the present investigation.With R. K. Merton I regard "theories of the middle range" as the immediate task of sociological research: generalizations that are inspired by or oriented towards concrete observations.However, the exposition of the theory of social classes and class conflict stands in the center of this investiga- tion.The resume of Marx's theory of class, the largely descriptive account of some historical changes of the past century, and the criti- cal examination of some earlier theories of class, including that of Marx, lead up to the central theoretical chapters j with the analysis of post-capitalist society in terms of class theory a first empirical test of my theoretical position is intended.The whole investigation re- mains in the "middle range" also in that it is, as its title indicates, confined to industrial society.Many suggestions and stimulations which have gone into the present study originated in discussions in a small informal group of younger sociologists from diverse countries at the London School of Economics in the years 1952-54.This group, which called itself the "Thursday Evening Seminar," although it often continued its dis- cussions until Friday morning and met on other days as well, not only occupied itself with many of the specific questions of this study -such as Marx, Parsons, the whole problem of interest groups but displayed a conception of sociology and its task which I hope to have upheld throughout this study.Within the "Thursday Evening Seminar" and since, the stimulation of numerous conversations with Dr. D. Lockwood, Lecturer in Sociology at the London School of Economics, has, above all, furthered the progress of my own investigation into class theory.In the hope that the provisional result of these investigations may provide a useful basis for critical dis- cussion I dedicate this study to David Lockwood and with him to our common friends of the London years. R.D.Scheint (Saar) S-pring igs7 the work of revision would reveal that in the years since this book was originally written my interest has shifted from problems of industry to those of politics.Most of the additions and changes in the present edition have been stimulated by the desire to render con- flict theory applicable to the analysis of the political process both in totalitarian and in free societies of the present.A number of

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