ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the intersection of age- and class-based systems of social stratification in two modern societies. Following Weber (1968) and Bendix (1974), our working hypothesis proposes that the class systems of different modern societies, each with its own distinctive history, structure, and pervasiveness, contribute to the institutional conditions within which age systems are created, expressed, and evolve. We probe this working hypothesis in Norway and the Federal Republic of Germany during the period since World War 2, based on reconstructed class histories of men that are derived from detailed life history interviews.
