Class and Gender Oppression: Inequality in Society

Introduction: Defining Class and Gender

Class and gender are two separate but related concepts in the sociological analysis and understanding of inequality and oppression in society. A working definition of class is: "A group of individuals ranked together as possessing common characteristics; as, the different classes of society; the educated class; the lower classes" (Definition of class).

According to the sociologist Max Weber, class is defined in relation to the way that goods and services are distributed or allocated in a society. All communities are arranged in a manner that goods — tangible and intangible, symbolic and material — are distributed. Such distribution is always unequal and necessarily involves power: "Classes, status groups and parties are phenomena of the distribution of power within a community" (Max Weber: Basic Terms).

Class therefore refers to the categories in a society of those who have access to wealth and privilege and those who do not. Class is also linked to social status and standing: those with greater access to services and assets in a society are seen as having a higher social status than others. Class structures are therefore the way that a society is divided or stratified. Class structures were the central focus of the Marxist view of society, which states that society is controlled by an elite class — small in number but with access to most of the services and assets — while the rest of society is relatively poor. Inequality of opportunity and the unequal distribution of wealth are thus central aspects of social class. From a Marxist and socialist point of view, class is an oppressive system where small segments of society — the "upper" classes — hold all the wealth and power.

Gender is also a term associated with oppression and inequality in society. Similarly to class, gender differences and disparities relate to differences in access to position and assets in a society. The concept of gender is in itself a neutral term, referring simply to the differences in sex within a society. However, it is also associated with various forms of oppression, as most societies assign different roles to men and women and many societies have relegated women to an inferior status.

Both gender and class are therefore viewed as concepts that describe inequalities and forms of oppression in society. Many sociological analyses stress the relationship between these forms of inequality. One of the central issues in Marxist analysis, for example, is power and privilege, as well as conflict within society on the basis of class, gender, and race. These inequalities and social disparities create conditions of oppression and ongoing conflict within society.

Oppression and Inequality

In sociological and economic terms, inequality refers to the unequal distribution of wealth and resources in a society. Inequality is therefore a form of oppression, as it leads to the economic, social, and psychological denial of a fair share of opportunities and well-being within society. The unequal distribution of goods and services within a particular social system is, in Marxist theory, a result of class structure and the division between the owners of the means of production and the workers. Other sociological theories emphasize the stratified nature of society as a cause of this unequal distribution within capitalist society. A working definition of social inequality is as follows:

Social inequality refers to economic and social disparities in a population in terms of various indicators such as income, wealth, education, occupation, social class, and deprivation. These indicators are often encompassed under the theoretical concepts of "social stratification" and "social class." (Cohen, C.I. 2002)

Classical Marxist theory sees capitalist society as made up of the "haves and have-nots." In essence, Marxist theory posits that society is in continual conflict between the producers of goods (workers) and the owners of the means of production. The unequal distribution of goods and services is the essence of modern capitalist society, resulting in ongoing conflict between the different classes and between those who hold power and those who do not.

There are many factors which can contribute to social inequality, such as racial and gender issues, which are seen to have the potential to create false inequalities within the class and economic structures of society. All of these forms of social inequality have a profound impact on health and on the allocation of resources, services, and provisions in a society.

Ideology and Alienation

Oppression in society takes many forms. While there are more obvious forms of oppression — such as economic and political oppression — some of the worst forms are caused by unfair and incorrect ideas, images, or stereotypes of others. The oppression of ideas, or ideological oppression, is possibly one of the most damaging denials of personal freedom and individuality.

Ideology refers to the way in which reality is represented. The representation of reality through certain cultural and sociological perspectives constitutes the ideological framework of a given society and period. In some sociological theories, the concept of ideology is used specifically to refer to the distorted and often partial views of reality promoted by the upper and middle classes, or bourgeoisie. In this view, ideology is essentially used as a method to bind the workers to the world-view of the bourgeoisie by hiding and distorting the true nature of oppression and exploitation.

Another important concept that stems from the idea of representation and ideology is reification. Reification refers to the dehumanization of human identity and relationships through the representation of human relationships as relationships between things. This process denies the innate humanity of people and constitutes a falsification and destruction of healthy human relationships and perceptions of reality. This form of oppression leads to a psychology of alienation.

The concept of alienation is a central aspect of the critique of societal oppression. Exploited men and women are alienated in a capitalist mode of production from the product of their labor — alienated not only from that product but also from their true human nature and from their environment. In other words, they have no control over the conditions and parameters of their existence. In the ideology of the dominant class, the person becomes a depersonalized element of the industrial machine. This is a central theme in many contemporary works of literature.

Conclusion

It is instructive to note the link between the oppression of women in schools and the oppression experienced later in life and business. There is an obvious connection between these two areas that points to a pervasive oppression of women throughout society. This oppression is also linked to class structure and other social divisions. The relationship between gender and class is most easily observed in developing countries, where it takes more explicit forms. However, the central form of gender oppression in modern society lies in a more subtle kind of media-driven oppression. Ideas and images conforming to narrow ideals are promoted continuously and are very effective in oppressing society along gender lines.