The existence and relevance of social classes in Australia has been contested for long period of time. Some people say that class is no longer in Australia, while others insist that country still experiences class inequality despite the transformation in the political, industrial and familial relations in the 1970s.
According to Marx’s distinction between classes in themselves and classes for themselves, the main difference between them is the issue of organization and consciousness. As he said, economic conditions transformed a mass of people into workers who had common interests due to the combination of capital. By being against the capital, this mass of people is united and identifies themselves as a class, whose defending interests become class interests. According to Drurkeim and Sainsbury, structuralism describes society as deterministic, controlling individuals by the process of socialization, in which they learn the “script” of society.
Thus, the struggle of a class against capital is considered a normal situation while struggle of one class against another as a political struggle. According to Marx, Weber, and Irvin, the ruling class of rich and powerful people control the working class who lacks rights and privileges of the first one. Menzies was stranding for the interests of the middle class as against the organized workers. Though, now Australia has a conservative political leadership.
There are two different approaches to the idea of class: class is like a box that people fir in to and are identified as middle-class or working-class with the common interests, which was organized by natural circumstances and cannot go beyond its limits; and class exists only if it articulates its own formation and existence and asserts itself. Many historians agree that majority of people in Australia tend to see themselves in class terms mainly due to social indicators like their suburb of living, homes, income, cars and other material things.
According to Bartky, inequality in the society between women and men occurred historically when women feel that they must conform to this theory of gender determined by society. They experience a “generalized condition of dishonor”, which is “woman’s lot” in society is established to a certain extent.
