There is no concept today, both in the field of social sciences and at street level, more controversial than that of "social class." There are few theorists, analysts and politicians who have decreed his death in today's society, while others insist on its importance and centrality when it comes to understanding contemporary capitalism. Between affirming that its relevance is limited to its use to explain individual economic opportunities and to argue that it is also a structural characteristic of power relations mediates an abyss.

Erik Olin Wright has been investigating for four decades, in theory but also empirically, why class matters - and much. In Understanding social classes, the prominent American sociologist examines their divergent meanings in order to develop a solid and consistent framework of study.

Starting from the classical analyzes of Marx and Weber first, from the studies and works of eminent contemporary authors such as Charles Tilly, Thomas Piketty or Guy Standing later, to examine in a final block how class struggle and class commitment manifest themselves in Society today, this definitive study provides a conclusive view on how to think about the complexity of social classes in the world of global capitalism.