Answer to Question #309058 in Philosophy for Lungelo

Question

Name the two classes of people in society and indicate how the conflict theorists view class inequality

Answer 1

Marxist conflict theory sees society as divided along lines of economic class between the proletarian working class and the bourgeois ruling class. In Marxist theory, the capitalist stage of production consists of two main classes: the bourgeoisie, the capitalists who own the means of production, and the much larger proletariat (or 'working class') who must sell their own labor power. Conflict theory sees social life as a competition and focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality. Unlike functionalist theory, conflict theory is better at explaining social change, and weaker at explaining social stability.