What is social class?

A group of people within a society possessing the same economic

status, often determined by occupation, education, income,

manners, etc.

“Class Ridden Society”

•British concerned with social differences

•Class consciousness frames British mentality

•Class identification criteria

The British Social Class System

The British society has often been considered to be divided into three main groups of classes:

the Upper Class

Often people with inherited wealth. Includes some of the oldest families, with many of them being titled aristocrats.

the Middle Class

The majority of the population of Britain. They include industrialists, professionals, business people and shop owners.

Lower or Working Class

People who are agricultural, mine and factory workers.

Origins of Class Differences

• Industrial Revolution - Urban working class

• Shared experience of struggle/class unity

• 18th Century’s Middle class : tenant farmers and professional body of lawyers, doctors…

• Associated with the ownership of industry

• Bought their way to the aristocracy

The Under Class

• Difficulties , extreme poverty

• Intellectually and morally poor

• Unemployed single mothers, idle young people of inner city areas

• No improvement of the self, Self-destructive

• Threat to themselves and to society

• « Useless class » living on social benefits

• Cutting government help

The Working Class« Lower class , masses, prole »

• Large proportion of British

population

• Unskilled workers and low-ranking office workers train and bus conductors…

• Distinctive signs of class belonging : Local regional or broad accent (opposed to RP) Dress and hair styles

• Hostility towards classes above / Opposed to social mobility

The Middle Class

• The bulk of British society

• Thatcher, daughter of a grocer, personifies traditional virtues of middle class

• White collar office workers, company executives, journalists, teachers, academics,etc.

• Common lifestyle

The Upper Class

• Represents the Establishment

• Made up of the upper middle

class, the aristocracy and the

peers

• Old money, land

ownership , Eton,

Oxbridge, club ties ,

hunting, etc

Social mobility

• The ability of individuals or groups to move upward or downward in status

• Factors can be wealth, occupation, education, or some other socialcriteria.

Social mobility in the UK

• Britain has the lowest social mobility in the developed world.

• Earnings in UK reflect the parents’.

• Social mobility hasn't changed since the 1970s

What Factors Affect Social Mobility?

• Parents

• Education

Parents make the difference

• in UK the influence of parents is as important as the quality of education

• A strong link between lack of social mobility and inequality

• For the poorest fifth in society, 46% have mothers with no qualifications at all.

• For the richest, only 3% have mothers with no qualifications.

And Education

• Education is an engine of social mobility.

• But achievement is not balanced fairly

• intergenerational transmission of income occurs through education

Now time for the…