class consciousness
awareness of belonging to a particular economic or social group, especially one regarded as being exploited or victimized. Karl Marx viewed class consciousness as a necessary condition for a revolution of industrial workers against the capitalist owners’ class. The concept was extended in the late 20th century to include gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, with similar implications. Here, the sense of “consciousness” derives from German philosophy and implies a social belief system or worldview (see Weltanschauung) rather than perceptual or waking consciousness.