Defining class through generations

[Lolshevik]

How do Marxists define the social class of a man who, for instance, works as a waiter but whose father is the owner of that restaurant, or restaurant chain? What if someone is a teacher, but his mother is the CEO of Take-Yer-Money-And-Run Insurance Corporation?

[mykittyhasaboner]

Ultimately, a persons class relations are his/her relations to the means of production, meaning whether or not you own said means of production or if you simply work for the person who does own it. So if a man works as a waiter or teacher, than he is a proletarian (because a waiter doesn't own a restaurant and a teacher doesn't own a school). But, class isn't exactly black and white, so your parent's relations to the means of production can affect your own. If for example, one lives by working for wages, but are supported by their parents who own a restaurant or insurance corporation, than it can be said that you are somewhere in between proletarian and petit-bourgeois, or even bourgeois. This is because you are living off of the exploited labor of other's, but yet you still labor for yourself as well.

[Black Sheep]

You can still determine one's class by the interest they have in the current system.

The teacher with the CEO mom wouldnt have the same interest in a socialist revolution with the teacher with two unemployed parents.

That is why you cannot judge exclusively by the form of labor (proletarian-bourgeoise), and this is something that you must consider especially when you are looking for allies in your revolutionary struggle.

Same with cops-their form of labor is 'working class' (they do not own means of production) however the characteristics of their labor prevents you from alllying yourself with that group.