Inequality, classes and social divisions

In many contemporary theories on social divisions the emphasis is put on culture and consumption, while social relations in production are considered less important. We may claim that power and authority relations are almost totally neglected.

In our paper we shall analyse inequality mainly in the relation to the development of class theory, and to Bourdieuan concepts of habitus, fields and capitals. In addition we discuss the relevance of social divisions, such as: gender, generations, ethnicity and region.

In the class theory our main interest is concerned with the debate about the relevance of class theory and the death of classes. Our thesis is that in the contemporary world class is not dead. When think about the relevance of class, the scope logic theory of class analysis is helpful when specifying the significance of class in the analysis of social inequalities. The scope logic goes from the analysis of class positions to the study of class situations (class and reproduction situations), to the questions of experience and consiousness and finally to the analysis of hegemony and state relations.

Class habitus combines the past objectified history and present subjective history. This means that we can ask questions of inheritance of resources, meaning of capitals and also the positions in different social fields.

We claim that is vitally important to relate class positions and resources to actual social divisions. It is more than obvious than in Europe ethnicity (race), gender and generation are still influential. The role of ethnicity is in fact increasing because of the enlargement of EU and new immigration to EU. In spite of many efforts the inequality between men and women seem to be long lasting. Evidence from the fresh studies indicate that in the information society gender based inequalities are still existing. There are sign of new kind of inequalities between younger and older generations, especially in the labour markets new generations are more often faced with temp work than the older generations.

Social divisions have not disappeared. Class divisions exist. Besides there are also new social divisions based on interplay between class ethnicity, gender and generation.