Ralf Dahrendorf was a German sociologist known for his work explaining class divisions in modern society. His most influential work, Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society (1959), argued that classes form based on authority rather than wealth. He believed capitalism had changed since Marx, and that the struggle for authority creates social conflict. However, his theory did not significantly address culture, citizenship, and identity.

1. Ralf Dahrendorf
Presented By:
Menal Hasan

2. History of Ralf Dahrendorf
• Ralf Dahrendorf was a German sociologist.
• Dahrendorf was a leading expert on explaining and
analyzing class divisions in modern society
• Dahrendorf wrote multiple articles and books.
• his most notable being Class Conflict in Industrial
Society (1959)
• Dahrendorf died in Cologne, Germany, aged 80, on
17 June 2009, after suffering from cancer.

3. Dahrendorf’s theory
1) Class and class conflict in Industrial Society
 In 1959, Dahrendorf published in his most
influential’s work on social inequality, titled Class
and Class Conflict in Industrial Society
 this book still remains as his first detailed and most
influential account of the problem of social
inequality in modern or post capitalist societies.
 Dahrendorf highlighted the changes that have
occurred in modern society.

4. CONT…….
• According to Dahrendorf, the conflict theory is
used to understand conflict.
• As a sociologist, Dahrendorf developed,
cultivated, and advanced conflict theory.
• Dahrendorf states that capitalism has
undergone major changes since Marx initially
developed his theory on class conflict.

5. Dahrendorf’s theory in simple words:
• He believes that the struggle for authority creates
conflict.
• Dahrendorf’s theory defined class not in terms of
wealth like Marx, but by the level of authority.
Criticism
• Absent from Dahrendorf’s theory were any
significant discussions of culture, and therefore,
citizenship and identity.