Class-stratification theories up to the present could be classified according to their emphasis on either one of the following elements: (1) economic, (2) political, (3) ‘relational’, and (4) normative. However, it seems theoretically more appropriate to suppose that the class-stratification structure is a complex whole complex of all of these elements, and that it is, in its main tendency, a self-perpetuating system. In this paper, a tentative schema of a theory of social class is pro- posed, which includes all of these elements in an analytical way. This paper takes the form of an analysis of the four elements of social class structure.
The analysis here follows the same line as the functional analysis of social systems already developed, but some sophistication has beem made to modify the existing model and to establish a new one, which is mose adequate for present analysis. Two important modifications are made. Firstly, personality is considered as an independent system in contrast to the social system, and it is suggested that the existence of the social system depends on the simultaneous satisfaction of the functional requisits of both the social system and of the personality system. Focusing on the personality; conversely, this idea may be formulated around the dual aspects of human existence in society, namely, contribution (man's contribution to the society) and ‘enjoyment’ (man's enjoyment of the society). It is proposed, then, that social class phenomena are to be understood on an ‘enjoyment’ level. Secondly, it is supposed that there are four kinds of ‘social products’ in the widest sense of the word, which are
produced in the human interaction process in the four dimensions of the functional requisits of the social system. These products are: (1) ‘goods and services, ’ (2) ‘political power, ’ (3) ‘solidarity, ’ and (4) ‘prestige.’ These products are either allocated as ‘resources’ prepared for the fulfillment of the functional requisits of the social system, or distributed as ‘rewards’ prepared for the satisfaction of those of the personality system. In an analogy with the concept of GNP in economics, the following equation may be set up: the whole sum of ‘social products’=‘resources’+‘rewards.’ It is proposed that the class structure ls essentially the distribution of ‘rewards, ’ which should not be confused with the allocation of ‘resources.’
A limit of this analysis, however, must be recognized. Because standards with which the ligitimacy of a certain class structure is judged is a function of power relations and the value system, a fuller sudy of the class structure must involve an examination of these factors.
In this study, the main concern has been to analyze the structural elements of class structure. Consequently, it is to be postponed for the next opportunity to make the an analysis of the functional relations between these elements for a more elaborate sohema.
It seems, however, that this study has two merits. Firstly, departing from explanations of social class in terms of one ‘dominant’ element, it suggests the possibility of a class theory as an analytical tool and puts an end to the fruitless arguments on class indices. Secondly, in understanding social class on the ‘enjoyment’ level, it avoids the danger of ‘falling into a trap, ’ that is, of understanding the social class phenomena exclusively in terms of functions of the social system.
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