Petite bourgeoisie
Encyclopedia
Petit-bourgeois or petty bourgeois is a term that originally referred to the members of the lower middle social class
es in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Starting from the mid-19th century, the term was used by Karl Marx
and Marxist
theorists to refer to a social class
that included shop-keepers and government employees.
and the lumpenproletariat
, who rely entirely on the sale of their labor-power for survival, the petit- is different from the haute bourgeoisie
, (high bourgeoisie) or capitalist
class, who own the means of production
and buy the labor-power of others to work it. Though the petite bourgeoisie may buy the labor power of others, in contrast to the haute bourgeoisie, they typically work alongside their own employees; and although they generally own their own businesses, they do not own a controlling share of the means of production.
More importantly, the means of production in the hands of the petite bourgeoisie do not generate enough surplus to be reinvested in production; as such, they cannot be reproduced in an amplified scale, or accumulated, and do not constitute capital properly.
The petit bourgeois were to lose out in the historical processes that Marxism predicted; the claim was made that they were therefore the mainstay of Fascism, which was presented as a terroristic reaction to the inevitability of these losses.
and the lower middle class
in particular. This is related to the meaning attributed to the expression "bourgeois mentality", used to define the cultural worldview associated with Victorianism, in particular the repression of emotional and sexual desires, and the construction of an intensely regulated social space where the key desirable personal trait is propriety.
However, Marxist terminology relates the petite bourgeoisie exclusively to its relationship to the means of production and work rather than to tastes, habits of consumption, or lifestyle (because of the Marxist definition of class
).
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
es in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Starting from the mid-19th century, the term was used by Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
theorists to refer to a social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
that included shop-keepers and government employees.
Definition
Though distinct from the ordinary working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
and the lumpenproletariat
Lumpenproletariat
Lumpenproletariat, a collective term from Lumpenproletarier , was first defined by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in The German Ideology and later elaborated on in other works by Marx...
, who rely entirely on the sale of their labor-power for survival, the petit- is different from the haute bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
, (high bourgeoisie) or capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
class, who own the means of production
Means of production
Means of production refers to physical, non-human inputs used in production—the factories, machines, and tools used to produce wealth — along with both infrastructural capital and natural capital. This includes the classical factors of production minus financial capital and minus human capital...
and buy the labor-power of others to work it. Though the petite bourgeoisie may buy the labor power of others, in contrast to the haute bourgeoisie, they typically work alongside their own employees; and although they generally own their own businesses, they do not own a controlling share of the means of production.
More importantly, the means of production in the hands of the petite bourgeoisie do not generate enough surplus to be reinvested in production; as such, they cannot be reproduced in an amplified scale, or accumulated, and do not constitute capital properly.
The petit bourgeois were to lose out in the historical processes that Marxism predicted; the claim was made that they were therefore the mainstay of Fascism, which was presented as a terroristic reaction to the inevitability of these losses.
Petit bourgeois mentality
In some modern usage "petite bourgeoisie", a class that lies between the workingmen and the capitalists, is used, usually derisively, to refer to the consumption habits and tastes of the middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and the lower middle class
Lower middle class
In developed nations across the world, the lower middle class is a sub-division of the greater middle class. Universally the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle class associated with the higher realms of the middle...
in particular. This is related to the meaning attributed to the expression "bourgeois mentality", used to define the cultural worldview associated with Victorianism, in particular the repression of emotional and sexual desires, and the construction of an intensely regulated social space where the key desirable personal trait is propriety.
However, Marxist terminology relates the petite bourgeoisie exclusively to its relationship to the means of production and work rather than to tastes, habits of consumption, or lifestyle (because of the Marxist definition of class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
).
Further reading
- Geoffrey Crossick and Heinz-Gerhard HauptHeinz-Gerhard HauptHeinz-Gerhard Haupt was born 1943. Since 1998 he is professor of Social History at Faculty of History, Theology, and Philosophy, Bielefeld University .-Academia:...
, The Petite Bourgeoisie in Europe 1780-1914. Routledge. 1998. - Brief but different entry at the Encyclopedia of Marxism .