Definition of Class consciousness: The literal meaning of class consciousness is the awareness of the class or economic status of the individual in society . From a Marxist point of view, it refers to the awareness, or lack of self-awareness , of the individual - to the particular class to which he belongs, as well as to the desire to act for the interests of his class and the awareness of their class history. Marx explains the acceptance of class consciousness as a transition from a static class in itself, to a working class for itself. The meaning of the difference: a group of people who have a common opinion regarding the production of their products, as opposed to creating a social layer that will take care of the acquisition of its interests and products itself. For the most part, the lower classes have a greater social awareness than the upper classes. However, this does not obligate the societies in which the social hierarchy is rigid and traditional. Sometimes, in multiracial societies or countries such as the United States , the matter of classes and consciousness are mixed with the matter of race , since people of a certain skin color will often belong to the poorer classes.
see also: class struggle
