Social formations comprise plural market situations, not one ruling class

Evidence

Groups competing in the struggle over prestige or status may not be the same as groups competing over the power over scarce resources. Thus, in his work on immigration and housing, Rex distinguishes between and within economic groups in terms of the stratification of the housing market—in relation to which, he identifies a set of distinct “housing classes.” It follows that the groups dominant in each market situation do not cohere into anything so singular as a single ruling class in the Marxian sense. Instead, one must generate, according to each empirical case, a range of ideal-typical market situations, the sum of these plural structures constituting the social formation. — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 596

Categorization

• XREF: Rex’s ‘housing classes’ concept parallels later work on housing as a site of stratification and segregation, and connects to Hall’s own concern with race and housing in British cities.