Social DivisionVerso, 1991 - 442 pages In this path-breaking work, Alan Carling develops a general theory of social division centring on the three core areas of social class, gender and ethnicity. The inspiration for Carling’s approach is the Analytical Marxist treatment of class division and class struggle. Carling synthesizes the rational-choice theory of capitalist transition with G.A. Cohen’s functional version of the Marxist theory of history and, in an analysis which spans the work of Roemer and Elster, provides an accessible treatment of Analytical Marxism across the range of its major concerns. He then applies rational-choice theory to the domestic sphere and to processes of assimilation and discrimination in relation to ethnic groups. The book concludes that rational-choice is necessary to, but insufficient for, an adequate general theory of social division. Carling’s topic and his method are at the forefront of current concerns in sociology, economics and political philosophy. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
A Theory of History | 11 |
Brenner on the Transition to Capitalism | 27 |
The Logic of Class Struggle | 49 |
11 | 67 |
Roemer on Wealth and Class | 73 |
Roemer on Class and Exploitation | 97 |
The Problem of Exploitation | 123 |
Private Households and Public Goods | 237 |
Chicken Gender Class | 253 |
The Difference Gender Makes | 279 |
Ethnic and Racial Affiliation | 301 |
Ethnic Formation | 315 |
Communism and Socialism | 349 |
Symmetry and Social Division | 377 |
The Problem of Social Order | 395 |
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Common terms and phrases
actors agents Analytical Marxism argument assumption Banton Basic Income behaviour Brenner Cambridge capitalism capitalist chapter Chicken Chicken game claim Cohen collective action conception constraint consumption cooperative Crusoe definition differential discrimination distribution domestic economic egalitarian Elster equal equilibrium ethnic exchange model existence exploitation feudal forces of production functional explanation G.A. Cohen game theory gender given household housework implies incentive individuals inequality John Roemer labour balance labour-power London Marx Marx's Marxian means of production moral N-person needs needs-contribution principle non-cooperative outcome output ownership partner payoff structure peasants person Philippe Van Parijs players position possible Prisoner's Dilemma problem property relations pure private pure public racial rational choice rational-choice theory respect self-employment sense social access rule social division society solution strategy subsistence supergame surplus value t₁ t₂ taxonomy theory of history tion unequal unequal exchange wage labour wealth welfare women workers