Simonchuk E. Social classes in contemporary societies: the heuristic potential of class analysis

The work substantiates the heuristic potential of class analysis in explaining social inequalities in modern societies, including Ukrainian ones. The trends of development of class analysis in modern sociology are distinguished, features of its institutionalization in the national science are traced. Different aspects of the class structure of the post-Soviet Ukrainian society in the time perspective (1990–2017) and in comparison with post-socialist and western countries are described. The dynamics of class identities over the past thirty years has been restored; the peculiarities of class self-identification and awareness of their interests among representatives of different classes are found out, as well as the level of consolidation and mobilization of classes to protect their interests. Various class effects are presented — the influence of the class membership of people on their life chances, patterns of consciousness and behavior. The empirical basis for the study was data from domestic and international statistics, a number of national and comparative sociological surveys, and semi-structured interview materials.