Classes (Verso Classics) [Paperback]

Erik Olin Wright (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1859841791 | ISBN-13: 978-1859841792 | Publication Date: February 1, 1998

'The most impressive book on class I have read in some years.' Michael Mann, Contemporary Sociology

In this seminal re-examination of social class, Eric Olin Wright gives a complete reformulation of the Marxist concept, bridging the gap between abstract structural accounts of class and descriptions of particular class configurations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: Verso (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859841791
• ISBN-13: 978-1859841792
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An indispensible resource for the social scientist., July 9, 2000

By 

Mr. Matthew E. Brashears (Tucson, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classes (Verso Classics) (Paperback)

Dr. Wright's work "Classes" is thoroughly deserving of praise from the Sociological community. A successful union of economic analysis and Marxist thought, "Classes" conveys both the broad theoretical structure of Dr. Wright's work as well as its specific operational criteria simply and effectively. The work begins with a summary of the state of the art in Marxist thought and an analysis on the deficiencies contained within it. "Classes" then proceeds to illuminate the process through which new concepts are generated, how they were operationalized within Dr. Wright's work and finally the results of a solid empirical investigation. This book is a must for social scientists in general and for Sociologists in particular. Whether you possess a PhD, a BA or merely an amateur interest in Sociology or Marxism, this is a book you MUST read. Highly recommended.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to agree, but you have to admire, January 22, 2001

By 

John Mullen (Paris) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classes (Verso Classics) (Paperback)

What is wonderful about Olin Wright is his clarity. When you don't agree, you know exactly why, because he has taken you through his argument stage by stage with no tricky rhetorical devices. Seeing that only truth is revolutionary, hiw rok can only help us revolutionaries. His concept of "contradictory class locations" solves easily the old "problem" of the middle class and its role in society. The one theoretical fault of the book is a confusion between nationalization and socialism, which takes the core of marxism (workers power) out of the equation. Indispensable reading. JM