Final answer:
Karl Marx's perspective on the class struggle significantly influenced the development of social conflict theory, a contemporary sociological framework that analyzes societal inequalities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Karl Marx and Social Conflict Theory
Karl Marx's view of the struggle between social classes greatly influenced the contemporary perspective of social conflict theory. Marx, along with Friedrich Engels, perceived history as a series of conflicts between opposing social classes, especially between the bourgeoisie—who owned the means of production—and the proletariat—the working-class individuals who were exploited for their labor. This struggle was believed to be the engine driving societal change, leading Marx and Engels to anticipate the eventual collapse of capitalism and the rise of socialism, followed by communism. The ideas set forth by Marx laid the foundation for Marxism, which in turn became the ideological backbone of socialism in the 19th century. Moreover, the analysis of class conflict and the inherent inequalities in a capitalist society shaped the development of social conflict theory in sociology.