bourgeoisie

Meaning: Karl Marx used "bourgeoisie" for the class that owns the means of production, such as factories, land and capital. It earns profit from the labor of others. The proletariat owns no productive property and must sell its labor power for wages. Marx argued that this relationship is exploitative, because the owners keep the surplus value of the workers' output. In conflict theory, this inequality is the main source of social tension and, in Marx's account, of historical change.

On the MCAT: Passages on social stratification, conflict theory and capitalism ask you to place a person or group in Marx's scheme. The deciding factor is the relationship to the means of production, not income or prestige. Questions may also ask how the bourgeoisie keeps its position, for example through control of institutions, ideology or the media, and how this relates to false consciousness, class consciousness, and alienation among workers. Expect comparisons with functionalist views, which see stratification as serving society's needs, and with Weber, who described class, status and power as separate dimensions.

Common confusion: Students equate bourgeoisie with "rich" or "middle class" in everyday speech. In Marx's sense it means owners of capital. A highly paid employee who owns no productive property is still proletariat, and a small business owner who hires workers is closer to bourgeoisie.