Chapter 7 : Social class

Abstract

No single idea in social science has either an older lineage or more constant presence than 'social class'. Nevertheless, its definition has always been an enormous bone of contention. Whilst in classical sociology the dominant view was that class referred to relationships derived from the way humans produce goods and services, presently, class relations are perceived to arise from the distribution of a range of resources ranging from financial capital to cultural assets such as differing educational qualifications, bodily departments, and lifestyles. Malta is no exception to the presence of class relationships. Similar to the class structures of other industrial societies, the Islands' class map evolved from a more traditional set-up and presently includes both the traditional working class as well as 'new' middle class groupings (Formosa, 2009). For many years, Malta's current occupation and economic map became marked by a higher degree of fluidity that encouraged a strident, yet unsubstantiated, claim that 'we are all middle class now' (Baldacchino, 1993). Yet, various sociologists have resisted such a popular claim, and instead note that what has died is the monolithic social imaginary of the 'proletariat-bourgeoisie' struggle. As the final part of this chapter shows, Malta inhabits an advanced capitalist social fabric where status dispositions function to disguise underlying class interests, so that classes take the appearance of status groups in everyday life.