| Broadly Marxist ideas | Broadly Weberian ideas |
| 1 The main dynamic of modern development is the expansion of capitalistic economic mechanisms. | 1 The main dynamic of modern development is the rationalization of production. |
| 2 Modern societies are riven with class inequalities, which are basic to their very nature. | 2 Class is one type of inequality among many – such as inequalities between men and women – in modern societies. |
| 3 Major divisions of power, such as those affecting the differential position of men and women, derive ultimately from economic inequalities. | 3 Power in the economic system is separable from other sources. For instance, male–female inequalities cannot be explained in economic terms. |
| 4 Modern societies (capitalist societies) are a transitional type – we may expect them to become radically reorganized in the future. Socialism will eventually replace capitalism. | 4 Rationalization is bound to progress further in the future, in all spheres of social life. All modern societies are dependent on the same basic modes of social and economic organization. |
| 5 The spread of Western influence across the world is mainly a result of the expansionist tendencies of capitalist enterprise. | 5 The global impact of the West comes from its command over industrial resources, together with superior military power. |
