Social Inequality: Classical and Contemporary Theorists

Raj S. Gandhi is a professor of sociology at the University of Calgary.

The question of social inequality has always been of great interest to major classical social thinkers such as Comte, Saint-Simon, Durkheim, Marx and Weber. The main aim of the book is to assess critically the major elements in the classical debates, to highlight the important differences and similarities in the approaches that have been developed and to trace the main direction that the theoretical exchanges seem to be taking us in understanding the problem of social inequality.

Karl Marx’s (chapter 2) thesis on class structure in capitalist society forms an essential backdrop for virtually all of the theories that follow: Max Weber’s attempt at a constructive critique and extension of Marx’s view; Durkheim’s role in the transition from Marx and Weber; and the modern attempts to build from their ideas, especially the attempts by Dahrendorf, Lenski, Poulantzas, Wright, Parkin, and Giddens. All theories and their assessments are clearly and concisely given. The book concludes with some speculative observations on the contributions of existing theories to a more unified overview of social inequality in advanced societies. It is rewarding reading for the students and scholars of social stratification.