ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some recent literature on class and space, and attempts to link work on social class originating in the emerging paradigm of analytical Marxism, such as John Roemer, Elster, Przeworski, with work carried out by human geographers on the geography of class formation and struggle. It argues that within the traditional Marxist scheme the nature of society and its relationship to the individual is defined by 'class-in-itself, while the motivation and consequences of individual action are defined by 'class-for-itself. It focuses on class-in-itself, and break that discussion down into three sub-themes: definitions of class, associated class structures, and collective interests. The chapter reviews the three most popular Marxist definitions of class, respectively based upon exploitation, domination and property ownership. The property-based definition of class has taken on renewed vigour with the analytical Marxist work of John Roemer, who has developed an approach that circumvents Elster's objections.
