Theoretical origins
Many of the concepts underlying the use of SEP in epidemiological research have their origin in the work of two social theorists, Karl Marx and Max Weber. For Marx, SEP was entirely determined by “social class”, whereby an individual is defined by their relation to the “means of production” (for example, factories, land). Social class, and class relations, are characterised by the inherent conflict between exploited workers and the exploiting capitalists or those who control the means of production. Despite the palpable political weight of Marxist ideology in the 20th century we are aware of only two classifications used in epidemiological research that are based on Marx's theory of social class, these are Erik Olin Wright's classification
13 and others developed in South America.
14 In contrast with Marx, who viewed social stratification in capitalist societies as both source and outcome of the conflict between two necessarily opposed social groups, Weber's theory suggests that society is hierarchically stratified along many dimensions, creating groups whose members share a common market position leading to shared “life chances”. For Weber, market position is not necessarily only defined by Marx's class relations. For a more detailed summary of these sociological theories see Bartley.
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