Class Society Without Classes
Class Society Without Classes
Dissolution or Transformation of the Structure of the Industrial Society?
Vester’s paper focuses on the social changes that have taken place in German society since the 1960s onwards. Based on the analysis of the changes he refuses both the individualization theory that suggests the dissolution of classes and ranks, both the orthodox Marxists approaches and proposes instead a unique middle-ground. According to his core argument, classes have not been eroded, only underwent a particular metamorphosis. As part of his relationist approach, inspired by the works of Pierre Bourdieu and E. P. Thompson, Vester looks at social changes at multiple levels. This enables him to explain why classes seem to have been dissolved in today’s society at first sight, despite the fact that the class structure in the lifeworld shows a picture of continuity notwithstanding its metamorphosis.