This books brings together some of the more prominent recent analyses within the Marxian tradition that bear on the topics of class formation and social conflict in contemporary capitalism. After examining debates over historical agency, class structure, and electoral dynamics, it explores the provocative arguments of analytical Marxists, Claus Offe, Jurgen Habermas, and Immanuel Wallerstein. In light of these discussions, the author concludes that even if the variety of forces contemporary capitalism structurally generates do not promote the formation of a revolutionary "proletariat", class relations continue to be important for analyzing the historical trajectory of, and challenges to, capitalism - although not in the way that Marx imagined.

John F. Sitton is Associate Professor of Political Science at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.