Abstract

In a society characterised by growing inequality, the role of social classes has often been debated. Focusing on the Italian case, the article provides evidence of the role played by occupational groups in explaining wage inequality, following a social class scheme. After providing a brief overview of the theoretical approaches on social classes, the article investigates the main determinants of growing inequality, looking at the wage distribution from 1983 to 2018. Special attention is paid to wage patterns and trends of two macro-occupational groups deemed to cover opposite positions within the hierarchical structure of the decision-making processes and work organisation, namely managers and blue-collar workers. In particular, the analysis focuses on the differences within the two classes with respect to work-contract type and gender composition, showing for instance a persistent gender pay gap despite the increasing number of female workers in both categories. The article concludes discussing the relevance of the conceptual category of social classes as a useful theoretical lens to better reinterpret the main phenomena characterising contemporary capitalism, first and foremost, inequality.