Describe how class influences identities. In order to describe how class influences identities, we first need to understand what is meant by class and identity. Your economic category will have a bearing on your social position known as class. This can be shown in terms of wealth, property ownership or your working and living environment. Identity is formed by two elements, one of which is external influences and experiences such as language, upbringing and the society you live in. The other element of identity you actively participate in shaping, such as social groups in which you mix, with their symbols and characteristics. Karl Marx (1818 - 1883) and Max Weber (1864 - 1920) both recognised that economic categories played a large part in social class structure. Nineteenth Century history plays an important part in understanding how class influenced identities. The Industrial revolution was changing the structure of the communities, the rich or landowners having a far better standard of living with better education, health care, property ownership and power than the poor. The working class would have a daily struggle to survive. The change in Trade Unions meant that the working class had a voice, helping to push their needs forward, looking for better standards of living and working conditions. Marx's concept of class was based around the production of goods. The emerging owners of these goods, or capital, were known as the ruling class. Marxism would define only two classes, the ruling class and the working class. The influence on identity of these two class structures would be very relevant in those days. The working class would earn a wage from the production of the goods but the ruling class would sell these for a profit and exploit the workers. The two classes were on two different levels of wealth, property ownership and social standing and they would struggle to mix, they were dependent on each other but the rewards ...
