Social Class & Social Mobility

Outline of presentation What is Social Class? Stratification What is Social Mobility?

What is Social Class? The notion of Hierarchy dominates the study of societies The term Hierarchy infers a society in which power & status are not evenly distributed amongst all members

What is Social Class?

When studying the society in which we live we can use a number of groupings to help us:  Gender  Ethnicity  Age  Class

What is Social Class? Karl Marx introduced the terms:Marx Bourgeoisie- The owners of the means of production Proletariat- The workers These terms referred to the dominant groups that existed within the capitalist society that he was writing about It is from the work of Marx that we get our notion of: Working ClassMiddle ClassUpper Class

What is Social Class?

Stratification Social Class as used by the likes of Marx may not be the most useful way of looking at a modern post-industrial society However if we look at society we will still see evidence of some form of hierarchy in which groups share similar levels of power or status

Stratification The Registrar General`s classification I. Professional (e.g. accountant, doctor, lawyer) II. Intermediate (e.g. manager, schoolteacher, nurse) III. N. Skilled non-manual (clerical worker, secretary, shop assistant) III.M. Skilled manual (e.g. bus driver, butcher, carpenter) IV. Partly skilled (e.g. agricultural worker, bus conductor, postman) V. Unskilled (e.g. cleaner, dock worker, labourer) This system of classification based on occupation was used in the UK for almost 80 years and reflected the economic, cultural and social stratification present in a modern, industrial society.

As society and the economy becomes more complex so the system of classification must adapt to reflect these changes. As the UK moved from a modern industrial society to a post- modern service or ‘knowledge’ economy, so the Registrar General’s classification system became increasingly out dated. In recent years the old system was phased out and replaced with a more appropriate version. The 2001 census was the 1 st major government activity to make use of this new method of classification. Stratification

Social Class Typical employment Higher Managerial occupations 1.1 Company directors, Police Inspectors, Bank Managers, Senior Civil Servants, Military Officers 1.2 Doctor, Barrister, Solicitor, Clergy, Librarian, Teacher Lower Managerial 2 Nurses and midwives, Journalists, Actors, Prison Officers, Police and Soldiers (below NCO) Intermediate 3 Clerks, Secretaries, Driving Instructors, Computer Operator Small employers 4 Publicans, Farmers, Play group leader, Window cleaner, Painter and Decorator Lower supervisory and craft 5 Printers, Plumbers, Butchers, Bus Inspectors, TV engineers, Train drivers Semi-routine occupations 6 Shop assistant, Traffic Warden, Cook,Bus drivers, Hairdressers, Postal workers Routine occupations 7 Waiters, road sweepers, Cleaners, Couriers, Building labourers, Refuse collectors Never worked 8 Long term unemployed and non- workers Stratification

For more info click on the button and follow the links So what is the picture in the UK?

What is Social Mobility? The main idea behind social mobility is that it is possible for an individual to move from one class to another (this can be an upwards move or a downwards move) The extent to which this mobility is possible is a source of much debate

What is Social Mobility? The Indian Caste system is said to be similar to the class structures that exist in society However in the Caste system there is virtually no possibility for any social mobility Your Caste, & therefore your social status, are ascribed or given at birth

What is Social Mobility?

Social mobility can take two forms: Intergenerational - based on measuring the occupation (therefore class) of an individual against that of their parents (most often father) Intragenerational- the change in an individuals social class during their own working life

What is Social Mobility? John Major once famously said that we live in a “classless society” By this he meant that there was full social mobility and everyone had the chance to make it to the top Major used himself as an example of social mobility having ‘risen’ from a humble background in working class London to become Prime Minister

What is Social Mobility? It is still highly contentious to say that a truly Meritocratic society has been created Likewise many would argue that today we are still a very long way from living in a Classless society, real social mobility yet to be achieved

What is Social Mobility? The notion that we live in a ‘Classless society’ stems from the idea that it is possible to create a Meritocracy A Meritocracy or a Meritocratic society is said to be one in which all individuals are given the same chances and opportunities ( a level playing field), it is up to the individual to then seize their chance and advance themselves upwards as far as their talent will take them

What is Social Class?