Strata in the Postindustrial Society. The Meaning of the Stratum Concept for the Analysis of Society

Considers the possible dissolution of classes & strata in modern societies. Theodor Geiger's Die soziale Schichtung des deutschen Volkes ([The Social Stratification of the German People] Stuttgart, 1932) presented a concept of social stratum considerably more complex & heuristically mor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Soziale Welt 1990-01, p.81-101
Main Author: Geissler, Rainer
Format: Article
Language:ger
Subjects:
Modern Society
Postindustrial Societies
Social Class
Social Stratification
Social Theories
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Considers the possible dissolution of classes & strata in modern societies. Theodor Geiger's Die soziale Schichtung des deutschen Volkes ([The Social Stratification of the German People] Stuttgart, 1932) presented a concept of social stratum considerably more complex & heuristically more valuable than the prestige-oriented stratum concepts of US origin, yet more flexible & less dogmatic than Marxist concepts of class. In Geiger's tradition, the relationships between objective social positions & subjective mentalities, lifestyles, & opportunities are investigated, involving a dynamic, multidimensional structure of inequality with dominant & subordinated strata. A literature review shows that in the former West Germany during the 1980s, clear differences existed in terms of education & professional choice depending on social stratum. Other factors, including ownership of the means of production, age, generation, region, gender, or ethnicity, are less important determinants. Education is becoming the dominant factor determining to which stratum people will belong. 5 Tables, 69 References. AA translated & modified by M. Meeks
ISSN:0038-6073