This essay will aim to explain the main differences between Marxian, Durkheimian, and Weberian approaches to social inequality.

This essay will aim to explain the main differences between Marxian, Durkheimian, and Weberian approaches to social inequality. It will begin with each Marx's approach to social inequality, which he believed economic factors to be the sole cause of this social phenomenon. Marx was born in the aftermath of the French revolution where the governing elite was overthrown by the bourgeoisie allowing capitalism to develop. This in turn gave rise to a new class where …

…person employed to clean the streets, as a doctors occupation requires years of training. Unlike Marx and Weber, Durkheim did not really take into account economic, life chances or power group factors when explaining social inequality. He believed that the division of labour in society provided motivation for performing certain tasks, and those with which required harder work received a better pay, and therefore, those members in society occupied higher classes, status groups, and parties.