Stratification Theory- Weber
A-Level Sociology
Teaching Notes
Social Inequality:
Theories: Weber
Introduction
In most sociology textbooks that discuss the work of Marx and Weber you will, eventually, come across the phrase that Weber's work on social stratification represents a,
"Dialogue with the ghost of Marx".
Since this is a textbook of sorts, there seems little reason to break with tradition and not give the cliché yet another airing...
So, while the above quotation may be a rather hackneyed phrase (to me and countless long-suffering sociology examiners, if not to you, since you're probably encountering it for the first time), it does sensitise us to a couple of major ideas (my advice here is to remember these ideas and forget about trying to sneak the quotation into your exam).
1. That Weber addressed many of the same concerns addressed by Marx.
2. That Weber came to substantially different conclusions to those interpreted by Marx.
While this should come as no great surprise if you've been studying sociology for some time (and I would suggest that it's probably a good idea to have gained some experience in handling sociological ideas and concepts before you attempt to tackle the concept of social stratification in any depth) - sociologists frequently interpret evidence in radically different ways - it should alert you to the fact that there are a number of clear differences between the ideas, arguments and conclusions put forward by Weber and Marx in relation to social stratification. The task of these Notes, therefore, is to help you understand and evaluate both Weber's ideas and their relationship to Marxist ideas.
Before we continue any further however, it might be useful to note that, for theoretical purposes, I've classified Weber as a "Conflict Theorist", for three good reasons:
a. Firstly, because that is my interpretation of his general sociology.
b. Secondly, because he talks in terms of the way in which social structures condition human
Teaching Notes
Social Inequality:
Theories: Weber
Introduction
In most sociology textbooks that discuss the work of Marx and Weber you will, eventually, come across the phrase that Weber's work on social stratification represents a,
"Dialogue with the ghost of Marx".
Since this is a textbook of sorts, there seems little reason to break with tradition and not give the cliché yet another airing...
So, while the above quotation may be a rather hackneyed phrase (to me and countless long-suffering sociology examiners, if not to you, since you're probably encountering it for the first time), it does sensitise us to a couple of major ideas (my advice here is to remember these ideas and forget about trying to sneak the quotation into your exam).
1. That Weber addressed many of the same concerns addressed by Marx.
2. That Weber came to substantially different conclusions to those interpreted by Marx.
While this should come as no great surprise if you've been studying sociology for some time (and I would suggest that it's probably a good idea to have gained some experience in handling sociological ideas and concepts before you attempt to tackle the concept of social stratification in any depth) - sociologists frequently interpret evidence in radically different ways - it should alert you to the fact that there are a number of clear differences between the ideas, arguments and conclusions put forward by Weber and Marx in relation to social stratification. The task of these Notes, therefore, is to help you understand and evaluate both Weber's ideas and their relationship to Marxist ideas.
Before we continue any further however, it might be useful to note that, for theoretical purposes, I've classified Weber as a "Conflict Theorist", for three good reasons:
a. Firstly, because that is my interpretation of his general sociology.
b. Secondly, because he talks in terms of the way in which social structures condition human