Class

Author: (English) Richard
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: One of the most authoritative social science textbooks on higher education in Europe and America since the 1990s; jointly recommended by renowned scholars from more than 10 top universities in China. The relevance of class in modern society is widely questioned because most people generally do not view themselves or others from a class perspective. Based on this, the author explicitly points out in the chapter that social class and class relations remain an important feature of modern capitalist society. Whether it is private profit-driven organizations or state-owned non-profit organizations, similar social relations exist, and every occupation inevitably belongs to a certain class. The logic of existing research often follows a specific occupation being determined and then classified into different class categories, as if occupation determines class relations. However, in reality, occupation is merely a manifestation or result of class relations, and a more appropriate logic is that class relations determine the specific content and order of occupations. However, the author's argument that the focus of sociological discussion is no longer the abolition of social class but other important issues is meaningful for any country, especially for China in the transition period. The author points out that one of the key focuses of current sociological research is the issues of equality, distribution, and welfare in society, which undoubtedly has reference value for solving China's practical problems. Of course, when introducing Western class theories into China, we must consider the national conditions of our country. Some of the views in this book are one-sided, and we should maintain a critical attitude, taking the essence and discarding the dross.