In anthropology and sociology, class refers to a system of social stratification based on economic position, access to resources, and social power. It’s one of the key frameworks for analyzing inequality and social organization.

🌍 Definition

• Class: A group of people who share similar economic status, occupation, and access to wealth, power, and prestige.
• Basis: Often tied to income, property, education, and social networks.
• Contrast:
  • Caste: Fixed, hereditary status.
  • Class: More fluid, with potential for mobility.

🔑 Characteristics

• Economic Dimension: Ownership of resources (land, capital, labor).
• Social Dimension: Prestige, lifestyle, and cultural capital.
• Political Dimension: Influence over decision-making and governance.
• Mobility: Movement between classes is possible, though often constrained.

📚 Anthropological & Historical Contexts

• Marxist Tradition:
  • Karl Marx defined class in terms of relations to the means of production (bourgeoisie vs. proletariat).
• Weberian Tradition:
  • Max Weber added prestige and power as dimensions beyond economics.
• Cross-Cultural Studies:
  • Class systems vary widely—industrial societies emphasize wealth, while agrarian societies may tie class to landholding or kinship.
• Colonial & Postcolonial Contexts:
  • Class often intersects with race, ethnicity, and colonial hierarchies.

In short: Class is a flexible system of social stratification based on wealth, power, and prestige, central to anthropological and sociological analysis.