Erik Olin Wright was born in Berkeley California in 1947 while his father was in medical school on the G.I Bl He grew up in Lawrence, Kans, where both of his parents were professors of psychology a the University of Kansas. Aside from ayeatspen in Austealia in 1960, he remained in Kansas until 1964 when he entered Harvard University. After graduating with a B.A. degree in socal studies in 1968, he spent two years studying history at Oxford University, working especially with Christopher Fil ‘Upon returning tothe United States in 1970, he spent one year in 1 Unitarian Theological Seminar in Berkeley, during which time he worked at San Quentin Prison asa student chaplin. On the basis ‘of material gathered while working inthe prison, he wrote The Polies of Punishment: critical analysis of prisons in America (Sew York: Harper Colophon Books, 1973). In 1971 he entered {graduate school in sociology atthe University of California where he stayed until completing his doctoral dissertation on Clas Src ‘ure and Income Inequality inthe spring of 1976. Author of Class, Crisis and the State (New Lett Books, 1980), he is currently Pro fessor of Sociology atthe University of Wisconsin, Madison VvErik Olin Wright | Classes Verso | Suesrsh Library (Cataloguing In Publication Dats ‘Wright, ik tin Class 1'Secn cases Boss Tao Fics published 1988 (oF On Wright Vero Esitons 15 Greek Steet London WIV SL “Typeset in Times Roman by Spire Pant Services Lt Susbury, Witaire Printed in Gret Brin by ‘The Thetford Pres Ld, ‘Thetford, Norte say 0.86091-1087, (0-86091-8122 pbk Contents Preface 1 1. Posing the Problem: The Agenda of Class Analysis The Legocy of Mars 6 The Agenda of Contemporary MarisiClass Analysis 8 ‘Part One: Conceptual Issues ” 2, TheBiography of a Concept: Contradictory Class Locations 19 ‘The Lopicaf Concept Formation 2» Steps in the Anayss of the Formation of the Concept ‘of Contradictory Locations 4 The Empirical Seng 2 Theoreticl Consirains 26 Alternative Solutions a” Buldng New Concept 2 Problems with Conceptuaiztion 3 3, AGeneral Framework for the Analysis of Cass 6 ‘Roemer’s Account of Class and Exploltation 6 Towardsa General Framework of Class Analysis 2B Once Again, Unresolved Problems 2 4, Implications and Elaborations ofthe General Framework 108 “Alternative Class Theories 106 ‘Mode of Production and Socal Formation 105 The Theory of History 14 Legtimation and Motivation us (lass Structure and Form ofthe State m (Glass Structure and Class Formation reat (Cass Ainces ma