1. Definition of Social Class
What is Social Class?
DefinitionSocial class is a kind of social group which is neither legally defined nor religiously sanctioned. It is a stratum of people occupying similar social positions, differentiated primarily by economic criteria such as wealth, income, occupation, and education.
| Thinker | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mac Iver & Page | "A social class is any portion of community marked off from the rest by social status." |
| Bottomore (1962) | "Social classes are the characteristic features of industrial societies." |
Key pointSocial class is an economic stratum, not legally or religiously defined — unlike caste.
RememberM-B — Mac Iver, Bottomore
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Free. All OPSC Sociology Paper I and Paper II notes, with mains PYQs.
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In these notes
- Definition of Social Class
- Key Features of the Class System
- Class vs Caste — Key Distinctions
- Class Formation in Pre-British India
- Impact of British Rule — Changes in Agriculture
- Impact of British Rule — Trade and Commerce
- Impact of British Rule — Railways, Industry, and Administration
- Uneven Growth of Social Classes
- Social Classes in Rural India
- Rural Class 1 & 2: Landlords and Peasant Proprietors
- Rural Class 3 & 4: Tenants/Sharecroppers and Agricultural Labourers
- Rural Class 5: Artisans
- Green Revolution and Its Class Consequences
- Social Classes in Urban India — Overview
- Urban Class 1 & 2: Capitalists and Corporate Sector
- Urban Class 3: Professional Classes (Middle Class)
- Urban Class 4: Petty Traders, Shopkeepers & Unorganised Workers
- Urban Class 5: Working Classes
- Three Broad Classes in Post-1990 India
- Caste-Class Nexus in India
- Key Sociological Perspectives on Caste-Class Interaction
- Post-Independence Class Transformations — Land Reforms
- Post-Independence Class Transformations — LPG Reforms 1991
- Quick Revision — Thinkers and Concepts
- Conclusion — Class Structure in India
- Exam Framework — Class Structure in India