A Sociological Definition of Class Conflict and Struggle

Definition: According to Karl Marx, class conflict and struggle occur because of the economic organization of most societies. According to the Marxist perspective, class conflict and struggle are inevitable in capitalist societies because the interests of workers and capitalists are fundamentally at odds with each other. Capitalists accumulate wealth by exploiting workers while workers maintain or advance their own well-being only by resisting capitalist exploitation. The result is conflict and struggle, which is reflected in all aspects of social life, from unionizing efforts to strikes to political campaigns to immigration policies.