Class, Status, Party

A social group can be defined as a “common fate” that can be determined economically, socially, or politically. Class would be economical order, status would be social order, and party would be political. Weber has a multidimensional conception of class while Marx only has one (property vs. lack of property). Marx says that there are those who have the means of production, and those who don’t. It is the position on the labor market that causes people to be divided into classes. However, Weber says we can think of the different kinds of property, such as financial property, industrial property, or land. For example, people owning houses vs. people who rent. Weber also states that the types of services people can offer to the labor market will further differentiate them. He talks about class situation to think about class as an intersection of positions on different markets. Thus, class arises out of the realm of production. “Classes are not communities, they merely represent possible, and frequent, bases for communal action…class refers to any group of people that is found in the same class situation” (182).

Society is also organized by status groups, which are similar lifestyles and values. Status arises out of the realm of consumption. Status is about measures of ranking that are in the mind, how people look at one another. It is a subjective social ranking. These ranking can be very explicitly separated from one another in society. There are rituals that can mark boundaries of one’s social status, such as clothing or marrying within the same group. Status groups are communities that are better bound than classes because the individuals will embrace the differences and act on the basis of their groups. Manners can also distinguish people from different status groups.

Another way to connect is through organization. A form of political action by formulating a common goal is known as a party. “Parties are therefore only possible within communities that are societalized, that is, which have some rational order and staff of persons available who are ready to enforce it” (194). Parties are very strictly organized in an authoritative fashion because they are constantly struggling towards domination.