Classes

by Erik Olin Wright

Book Overview

Class analysis and class struggle are central concepts in Marx's social theory yet, notoriously, Marx never wrote a systematic exposition of these terms during his lifetime, and succeeding generations have had to piece together interpretations from his many scattered references and discussions. The problem of trying to develop a Marxist class analysis on this basis has been made all the more acute by changes in the class structure of advanced capitalism,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0860918122
• ISBN13: 9780860918127
• Release Date: October 1985
• Publisher: Verso
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

You don't have to agree, but you have to admire

What is wonderful about Olin Wright is his clarity. When you don't agree, you know exactly why, because he has taken you through his argument stage by stage with no tricky rhetorical devices. Seeing that only truth is revolutionary, hiw rok can only help us revolutionaries. His concept of "contradictory class locations" solves easily the old "problem" of the middle class and its role in society. The one theoretical fault of the book is a confusion between nationalization and socialism, which takes the core of marxism (workers power) out of the equation. Indispensable reading. JM

An indispensible resource for the social scientist.

Dr. Wright's work "Classes" is thoroughly deserving of praise from the Sociological community. A successful union of economic analysis and Marxist thought, "Classes" conveys both the broad theoretical structure of Dr. Wright's work as well as its specific operational criteria simply and effectively. The work begins with a summary of the state of the art in Marxist thought and an analysis on the deficiencies contained within it. "Classes" then proceeds to illuminate the process through which new concepts are generated, how they were operationalized within Dr. Wright's work and finally the results of a solid empirical investigation. This book is a must for social scientists in general and for Sociologists in particular. Whether you possess a PhD, a BA or merely an amateur interest in Sociology or Marxism, this is a book you MUST read. Highly recommended.