The Analysis of Ellen Meiksins Wood's Concept of social class

The aim of this study is to examine Ellen Meiksins Wood's approach to social class which is one of the controversial concepts of sociology. In the first part, how and under what conditions the concept of class emerged is investigated. Then, Karl Marx's class analysis, which laid the foundations of class theory, is evaluated. Accordingly, in the context of the dialectical materialist framework, Marx defined the economy as the decisive basis of a society. Besides, he described classes with reference to the dominant mode of production in the society, based on the positions in the antagonistic relations of production. In the second part of the study, the class conceptions of Louis Althusser, Nicos Poulantzas, Ernesto Laclau, and Chantal Mouffe who are critical of classical Marxist understanding are discussed. The reason for their selection is about the fact that these names have been harshly criticized by Wood in her writings on class, assuming that they distinctly contradict Marx's class theory despite their claims to take part in the socialist wing. In the third part, a detailed assessment of how Wood conceptualizes the class is made within the framework of her criticism of the New True Socialist movement and post-Marxist approaches. In this context, the author emphasizes the priority of economic relations in the determination of the class positions. Besides, she insists that, unlike the names she has criticized, the working class is the only actor to overthrow the capitalist system and its relations of production through revolution since they are against the interests of this class. Keywords: Karl Marx, post-Marxists, Ellen Meiksins Wood, social class.