Class Positions as Determinants of Income Inequality

Based on a 1% random sampling of population (N = 180,125) & career census data from 1970, supplemented by demographic information from questionnaires (N = 4,084) administered 1977-1980, E. O. Wright's & L. Perrone's thesis on SC & income (see SA 25:4/77I7949) is tested. Wright & Perrone assume that Marxist-defined SC position will characteristically determine income, particularly as a result of SC-specific education levels & commensurate incomes. A few primary results of their US study are compared with an evaluation of the Federal Republic of Germany. Despite limited differences, similar SC-specific correlations between education & income were observed; they were largely relevant to the Marxist hypothesis. The introduction of further income-related variables made the significance of SC position even clearer. Although the empirical results demonstrate the effectiveness of analyzing personal traits in conjunction with structural (SC) conditions, this does not prove the validity of Marxist SC analysis, since limited use was made of its more sophisticated assumptions. Theoretically, the specifically Marxist components must be more critically examined. 3 Tables, 3 Figures, 1 Appendix, 25 References. HA Tr & Modified by J. Weber.