Class conflicts is one of the major issues that people deal with in the society. In addition, it is a subject that has been explored extensively in the sociology circles. Class conflict can be described as the economic antagonism and political tension that usually exist in the society due to the socio-economic competition among the people from different social classes. In most instances, the struggle is between the poor and the rich. The poor believe that the existing structures in the society places them in a place of disadvantage and makes it difficult for them to succeed in life (Maavak, 2012). The rich, on the other hand, strive to protect their property and riches arguing that they have been obtained in the rightful way. It is worth stating that social conflicts take different forms. It can range of the direct violence like cheap labor and struggles for resources to indirect violence like starvation and creation of unsafe working conditions (Pakulski, 2009). In some cases, it is shown through threat of unemployment, coercion or withdrawal of investment from a particular area. The subject of class conflict is normally studied together with the idea of inequality. The trend is attributed to the fact that inequality is one of the primary factors that lead to class struggle. In addition, it affects the political and social changes in the society. This paper aims to explore the concepts of class conflict and inequalities from a sociology perspective.
Sociology Perspective of Class Conflicts and Inequalities
The structural-functional model has been used as the basis for exploring class conflicts and inequalities in the community. In this approach, the focus is on the way stratification and economic conditions in the society lead to class conflicts and inequalities. Furthermore, the focus is on determining the extent to which components of the society affects its functioning and stability (Bystrova, 2015). The structural-functionalists believed that inequality and stratification are inevitable in any community. In addition, they have argued that inequality and stratification is beneficial to a society. In this concept, it is argued that societies consist of layers that are conceptualized as a pyramid to help sort unequal people in the community. Furthermore, it is opined that the layering is usually important since it ensures that the best people take the top positions in the community while the least are placed further down in the social pyramid. In such an arrangement, the least deserving individuals will wield less power and get fewer rewards compared to the highly deserving individuals who are found at the top part of the pyramid. Davis-Moore is one of the theorists who addressed the subject of class conflicts based on the idea of structural-functional framework (Pakulski, 2009). While exploring the paradigm, he argued that the unequal distribution of resources and rewards was inevitable in any community. In particular, it ensured that the important jobs and positions are taken by those who can be considered to be the most qualified. An example is the case of a CEO who takes up high pay compared to other employees because of the fact that their leadership role is critical to the success of the organization.
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The subject of class conflicts and inequalities have further been explored based on the conflict theory. In this approach, it is argued that the stratification and inequality in the society are harmful and dysfunctional. In particular, it is argued that social stratification largely serves the interest of the powerful and rich members of the community. Furthermore, it makes it difficult for the less privileged members of the community to succeed and achieve their objectives in life. In such a system, there are high chance of a system of loser and winners system in the community (Ramaa, 2019). Those in the top positions will strive to maintain their dominion and influence in the community while their counterparts who are perceived as losers will also try to lift themselves to higher positions. It is worth stating that the conflict model holds that individuals who are categorized as losers in the society are rarely accorded fair chances to compete with the rest of the community. As a result, they will be stuck at the bottom of the pyramid and struggle to achieve their full potential. An example is the case of the wealthy households who pay low salaries to their domestic workers. These individuals will struggle to make ends meet by engaging in several jobs. In the long run, there is a likelihood of class struggles between the people who belong to various classes. In this regard, the conflicts believe that it is important to create a competitive system in which stratification is completely eliminated. In addition, the approach entails allow the less privileged members to compete with other people in the society. Failure to initiate such reforms will lead to continued class conflicts and inequalities.
When the conflict theory is used as the basis for exploring the subject of class conflicts and inequalities, it is also important to consider the impact of capitalism. Capitalism is an important economic system that is based on the idea of free-market economy and competition (Ramaa, 2019). The system largely benefits the rich members of the society due to the barriers that prevent resources and benefits from trickling down to the rest of the community. In some countries, governments have adopted capitalism as their main strategy for promoting growth. In such nations, capitalism is used to create corporate welfare through different interventions like tax breaks and subsidies (Ramaa, 2019). The approach is also based on the idea that when the market is defined by free competition, then there will be high chances for the benefits for the wealthy to trickle down to the other members of the society. However, there is no guarantee that the benefits usually get to the rest of the community. The conflict theory proponents argued that the existing stratification patterns and inequalities that are found in most societies means that the rich will continue to benefit from the government interventions while the less privileged struggle. As a result, there is a growing need to streamline the society and adopt models that will help the less privileged members are able to benefit from the systems that are existing in the community.
Conclusion
The society is usually defined by diverse social problems that affect the way people live. Class conflict is one of the main issues that many societies face today. It is an issue that affects the relationship between people from diverse social classes. In most instances, the conflict arises because of the belief that one class is getting preferential treatment and better opportunities than the other. Those who belong to the advantaged class usually argue that they are living in a free and competitive market and deserves the resources and opportunities that they have accessed. The less privileged, on the other hand, believe that they are being denied the chance to achieve their full potential. The inequalities between the social classes of people tend to fuel class was that can adversely affect the way people live in the society. The situation becomes worse when each class strive to exert its influence on wealth, social production, and opportunities that are available in the market.
References
Bystrova, E.G. (2015). Social conflict theory and white-collar criminals: Why does the ruling class punish their own? Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 7 (1), 1 -15.
Maavak, M. (2012). Class Warfare, anarchy and the future society. Journal of Futures Studies, 17 (2), 15-36.
Pakulski, J. (2009). Social inequality and conflict beyond class: Developments in contemporary China. Asian Social Science 6 (1), 35-42.
Ramaa, V. (2019). The global class wars. Catalyst, 3 (1), 110–139.
