Q: Write short note on Class-in-itself and class-for-itself.

Model Answer:

Class in itself and class for itself

Class-in-itself and class-for-itself are key concepts in Marxist class theory that distinguish between the objective economic conditions that define a class (class-in-itself) and the subjective awareness and collective action of that class in pursuing its interests (class-for-itself).

Class-in-itself

– Refers to the objective economic position and material conditions that a group shares due to their relationship to the means of production.
– For example, the proletariat is defined by their status as wage laborers who must sell their labor to the owners of capital in order to survive. Their class position is determined by these economic realities, regardless of whether they are conscious of shared interests as a class.
– The bourgeoisie is similarly defined by their ownership of the means of production and exploitation of wage labor for profit.
– Class-in-itself is based on the economic structure and relations of production in a society, not on the subjective perceptions of its members.

Class-for-itself

– Refers to the transformation of a class from a group that merely shares objective economic conditions to one that is conscious of its shared interests and struggles in its own interest as a class.
– Requires the development of class consciousness – an awareness of common class interests in opposition to other classes. Often spurred by shared grievances and class conflict.
– Involves collective class action, such as strikes, protests, forming unions and political parties to further class interests in opposition to other classes. The proletariat becoming a class-for-itself means struggling against the bourgeoisie.
– For Marx, the development of the proletariat into a class-for-itself, conscious of its interests and taking collective action, was necessary for overcoming capitalism and bringing about a socialist revolution.

Conclusion
– Class-in-itself and class-for-itself are important for understanding the objective vs. subjective dimensions of social class.
– The transition from a class-in-itself to a class-for-itself through the development of class consciousness and class struggle is key to Marxist understandings of social change and revolution.