Reproduction of class relations under the conditions of the emergence of peripheral capitalism

Abstract

The publication of Lazić's book Čekajući kapitalizam (Waiting for Capitalism) in 2011 represents a suitable occasion for reconsidering the theoretical and methodological aspects of contemporary research of class structure in Serbian sociology and for analyzing the major factors of emergence and development of the new class relations in Serbia. The paper focuses on the evolution of Lazić's theoretical and methodological approach in sociological research of the reproduction of the class structure in three periods - up to 1990, from 1990 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2010. The paper also problematizes the issue of the factors that determine the reproduction of the Serbian class structure today and approaches that issue in view of development strategies and the emergence of peripheral capitalism. The paper advocates the need for a renewal of the class approach in sociological analysis and for reaffirmation of a complementary theoretical and methodological approach in contemporary sociological research and in the analysis of the problems related to social structure.