Review article
https://doi.org/10.5613/rzs.48.2.5
A Review of Contemporary Sociological Research on Social Class: Themes, Theories, and Methods
Dražen Cepić
orcid.org/0000-0003-4544-5778
; Department of Sociology, University of Zadar, Croatia
Karin Doolan
; Department of Sociology, University of Zadar, Croatia
Abstract
Social class research has traditionally represented one of the main fields of sociological inquiry, however it has become increasingly difficult to follow new trends in this field due to its growing fragmentation. This paper provides an overview of contemporary social class research published between 2006 and 2016 in six leading international sociology journals. Articles from these journals which mention the term “class” in their title, abstract, or key words were reviewed. The paper is based on 326 articles which have been categorised according to eight areas of class research: education, social ties and networks, identity, politics and political economy, work and employment, social risks, social mobility, and cultural consumption. Each of these areas was summarised with a focus on its theoretical orientations, methodological approach, geographic spread, and specific topics engaged with. The overview shows that most of the reviewed articles do not draw on the main theoretical traditions in class analysis, that only a minority of the studies employed mixed methods research, and that cross-cultural studies are rare. The article concludes with a suggestion of themes that a revitalised class analysis in Croatia should engage with.
Keywords
social class; social inequalities; contemporary sociology
Hrčak ID:
206937
URI
Publication date:
31.8.2018.
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