Redrawing the Class Map : Stratification and Institutions in Britain, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland

Have de-industrialization, expanding services and occupational upgrading put an end to class divisions? Drawing on extensive empirical research, this book adds new insights to the debate about the end of class and shows that Western European societies remain decidedly stratified with respect to material advantages and citizenship rights. Well grounded in theory, it offers a highly original account of today's social stratification and presents novel findings about working conditions, political preferences and pension coverage of different classes in contemporary Britain, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The Question Of How Social Stratification Should Be Conceptualized In Modern Societies Is A Key Question In Sociology. The Author Shows That Although Western European Workforces Remain Decidedly Stratified With Respect To Life Chances, Service Sector Expansion And Occupational Upgrading Have Profoundly Altered The Nature Of Stratification. Therefore, A New Analytical Framework Is Needed To Grasp Today's Class Structure. This Is The Aim Of Redrawing The Class Map. It Develops A Novel Class Schema And Presents A Rich Array Of Empirical Findings About Class Differences In Working Conditions, Gender Relations, And Party Preferences. Moreover, The Book Offers New Insight Into Class Inequalities In The Integration Into Institutions Sucha As The Welfare State, The Trade Union Movement And The Political System In Contemporary Britain, Germany, Sweden And Switzerland. Written From A Comparative Perspective, The Book Makes A Major Contribution Towards Understanding Employment Stratification In Western Europe. Part I: Labour Market Trends And The Theory Of A New Class Schema -- Class Theorists And The Debate About The End Of Class -- Three Labour Market Trends And Their Impact On The Employment Structure -- Women, The Manual/non-manual Divide And The Working Class -- Horizontal Divisions Within The Middle Class -- The Construction Logic Of A New Class Schema -- Part Ii: An Empirical Analysis Of Employment Stratification -- Operationalization Of The New Class Schema -- The Class Structure Of Britain, Germany, Sweden And Switzerland -- The Distribution Of Advantage Within The Class Schema -- Structural Divisions Within The Schema: Public Employment And Party Support -- Collapsed Versions Of The Detailed Class Schema -- Part Iii: Class And The Concept Of Institutional Embeddedness -- Introducing Institutions: The Concept Of Institutional Embeddedness -- Class Differences In Pension System Integration -- Class Differences In Trade Union Membership -- Class Differences In Political Citizenship And Electoral Participation -- Cumulative Differences In Institutional Embeddedness. Daniel Oesch. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 239-253) And Index. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Tables......Page 10 List of Figures......Page 13 Preface......Page 15 Introduction......Page 16 Part I Labour Market Trends and the Theory of a New Class Schema......Page 24 1 Class Theorists and the Debate about the End of Class......Page 26 2 Three Labour Market Trends and their Impact on the Employment Structure......Page 42 3 Women, the Manual/Non-Manual Divide and the Working Class......Page 55 4 Horizontal Divisions within the Middle Class......Page 66 5 The Construction Logic of a New Class Schema......Page 74 Part II An Empirical Analysis of Employment Stratification......Page 88 6 Operationalization of the New Class Schema......Page 90 7 The Class Structure of Britain, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland......Page 100 8 The Distribution of Advantage within the Class Schema: Work Income and Promotion Prospects......Page 109 9 Structural Divisions within the Class Schema: Firm Size, Public Sector Employment and Party Support......Page 122 10 Collapsed Versions of the Detailed Class Schema......Page 139 Part III Class and the Concept of Institutional Embeddedness......Page 150 11 Introducing Institutions: the Concept of Institutional Embeddedness......Page 152 12 Class Differences in Pension System Integration......Page 159 13 Class Differences in Trade Union Membership......Page 175 14 Class Differences in Political Citizenship and Electoral Participation......Page 194 15 Cumulative Differences in Institutional Embeddedness......Page 212 Concluding Summary......Page 224 Statistical Annexe......Page 237 Notes......Page 247 References......Page 254 E......Page 269 K......Page 270 P......Page 271 W......Page 272 Drawing on extensive empirical research, this text adds insight to the debate about the end of class and shows that Western European societies remain decidedly stratified with respect to material advantages and citizenship rights