Conflict Theory

Theorists - Karl Marx

• Point: Society is a competition for limited resources where "winners" use power to stay on top (p. 1).

• Evidence: Karl Marx’s theory of the Bourgeoisie (owners) vs. the Proletariat (workers). The owners extract "surplus wealth" from the workers (Marx, 1867) – Capital: A Critique of Political Economy

• Explanation: This creates a system of exploitation where the elite maintain their position by suppressing the advancement of other groups (p. 1).

Theorists - Max Weber

Point: Contrasting Marx’s economic focus, Max Weber proposed a multidimensional approach to social stratification, arguing that social inequality is shaped by class, status and power, which represent distinct but interconnected forms of social advantage.

Evidence: Weber identifies three dimensions of inequality: Economic (wealth), Social Status (prestige/reputation), and Power (political influence) (Weber, 1922) – Economy and Society

Explanation: This explains why some conflicts persist without threatening the whole system—because people are fighting over different types of "capital" (like education or race) at the same time.

Theorists - George Simmel

Point: The intensity and outcome of a social conflict depend entirely on the specific goals and violence involved.

Evidence: Simmel noted that conflict is "highly variable"—it changes depending on how much both parties are willing to lose and what they are fighting for. (Simmel, 1955)

Explanation: Unlike Marx, who thought all conflict led to a "Big Revolution," Simmel argues that the nature of the conflict dictates whether it leads to social change or just keeps going.

Theorists - Pierre Bourdieu (1984) — Cultural Capital

Point

Bourdieu argued that social inequality is reproduced through cultural capital:

• knowledge

• cultural behaviours valued by institutions

• language

Evidence

Middle-class students tend to perform better in school partly because their cultural background aligns with institutional expectations.

Explanation

Education systems may reproduce class inequality rather than eliminate it.

Topics - Education

• Point: Education is not a "great leveller"; it is a "great divider" that reproduces social inequality

• Evidence: Bowles and Gintis (1976) argue that the "hierarchical divisions of labour" in a factory are replicated in the classroom (boss-worker = teacher-student)

• Explanation: Schools socialise students to be the "right kind of workers" for capitalist businesses, keeping those in power, in power

Topics - Gender

Point: Gender inequality results from power struggles over economic resources.
Friedrich Engels argued in The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (1884) that patriarchy emerged with private property, making women economically dependent on men.

Evidence:

• Contemporary conflict theorists suggest that when women become wage earners, they can gain power in the family structure and create more democratic arrangements in the home, although they may still carry the majority of the domestic burden (the double disadvantage) (Rismanand and Johnson-Sumerford 1998)

Explanation: Economic inequality + domestic labour divisions reinforce male power in the household and labour market.

Critique: Conflict theory may overemphasise economic factors, ignoring cultural norms.
Example: leadership behaviour judged more negatively for women (Eagly et al., 1992).

Topics - Race and Ethnicity

Point: Conflict theorists argue that racial hierarchies are created to justify economic exploitation and domination. Dominant groups may construct racial categories to maintain control over labour and resources

Evidence:

• Racial and ethnic minorities often experience higher poverty rates and labour market disadvantage.

• Black and South Asian applicants must send 60% more job applications to receive a positive employer response (Reid, 2021)

Explanation: Conflict theorists argue that racism can function as a tool for maintaining economic inequality. By dividing workers along racial lines, elites weaken collective political action and maintain existing power structures.

Critique: Conflict theory may overemphasise economic motives, overlooking the role of culture, identity, and everyday prejudice in shaping racial inequality.

Topic - Crime

Point:

• Crime reflects material inequality and power struggles. Laws are created by dominant groups to protect their interests.

• Richard Quinney argued in The Social Reality of Crime (1970) that crime is socially constructed by powerful groups.

Evidence:

• Corporate crimes cause large social harm but are less punished than street crimes 100x More Costly: While street property crimes (burglary, larceny, auto theft) cost victims roughly $16 billion annually, corporate and white-collar crimes are estimated to cost between $426 billion and $1.7 trillion (Flynn 2022).

• Black people 40× more likely to be stopped/search (Reid, 2021) → institutional racism in policing

• WHITEVICTIMS WERENEARLY 4x MORELIKELY

than Black victims to have a photo with friends or family included alongside coverage, reinforcing existing tendencies to dehumanize Black pain and suffering and, by the same token, put a facet to white victims.

• Marginalised groups are overrepresented in prison populations.

• Martin Luther King Jr.: “A riot is the language of the unheard.” (1967).

Explanation:

• Behaviours associated with disadvantaged groups are more likely to be criminalised and heavily policed, while harmful behaviours by powerful groups receive less attention.

Critique:

• Conflict theory may overemphasise power and inequality, ignoring that many crimes (e.g., violence or theft) are widely condemned across societies regardless of class interests.