Petty bourgeoisie, or
petit-bourgeoisie, is a term used by
Karl Marx and
Marxist theorists to refer to a class of people that would include shop-keepers and professionals. This class is distinct from the
proletariat, who rely entirely on the sale of their labor-power for survival, and the
haute bourgeoisie[?], or
Capitalist class, who own the means of production and buy the labor-power of others to work it. In contrast, although the petit-bourgeoisie do buy the labor power of others, they typically work alongside their own employees; although they generally own their own businesses, they do not own a controlling share of the means of production.
See also: Bourgeoisie