1. Lesson Starter
Britain is an unequal country. Some argue it is getting worse. What evidence is there of this? What are the consequences of this?

2. What will I learn?
Interpret evidence which shows that the UK is a rich country and explain why wealth and income are not shared out evenly.
Explain why the process of social classification of people is necessary.
Describe at least two classifications that social scientists use to categories different people. 2

3. Success Criteria I can…
Interpret evidence which shows that the UK is a rich country and explain why wealth and income are not shared out evenly.
Explain why the process of social classification of people is necessary.
Describe at least two classifications that social scientists use to categories different people.

4. Wealth inequalities in the UK
By any international comparison the UK is a wealthy country. Whether measured by GDP per capita (wealth created per head) or GNP (total wealth creation), the UK is among the top 20 richest countries in the world. 4

5. Sri and Gopi Hinduja
What they do: Industry, finance
Net worth: £16.2billion
Main source of income: Hinduja Group, which has investments in oil and gas, IT, banking, media, property and healthcare

6. 2. Len Blavatnik
What they do: Investment, music, media
Net worth: £15.9billion
Main source of income: Access Industries, an investment firm that owns the Warner Music Group
Other side investments: Invests in natural resources, chemical industries and real estate

7. 3. David and Simon Reuben - £14 billion
4. Lakshmi Mittal and family - £13.2 billion
5. Alisher Usmanov - £11.7 billion
6. Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli - £11.5 billion
7. Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston & family - £10.5 billion
8. Kirsten and Jorn Rausing - £9.6 billion
9. The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family - £9.52 billion
10. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho - £9.3 billion

8. Is everyone rich in the UK?
Although the UK is a wealthy country, this does not mean that everyone in the UK is equally wealthy.
Watch this clip and note down some of the facts it provides regarding distribution of wealth in the UK.
If you want to research this inequality further, here is a web address:

9. Income and Wealth in the UK
Although the UK is a wealthy country, this does not mean that everyone in the UK is equally wealthy.
The gender pay gap has widened for the first time in five years, reversing a period of ''steady progress'' on closing the wage difference between men and women.
The difference based on median hourly earnings for full-time workers increased from 9.5% last year to 10%, but for all employees, including part-timers, the figure rose from 19.6% to 19.7%, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

10. Income and Wealth in the UK
In Britain today women still earn 15% less per hour than men, a pay gap that costs full-time women over £5,000 a year.
The figures showed that median annual earnings for full-time employees were £27,000 in the year to April, an increase of 2.1% from the previous year.
A tenth of full-time workers earned less than £7.28 an hour, while 10% earned more than £27 an hour, both figures increasing by 1.5% over the year.

11. Income and Wealth in the UK
Weekly pay was highest in London at £658, and lowest in Northern Ireland at £460.
Full-time pay for men increased by 1.8% to £556 a week and went up by 2.2% for women to £459.
Median weekly pay for all workers, full and part-time, was £417, an increase of 2.6%.

12. Social Class – why classify people?
Social classification is necessary in order to measure trends and progress throughout society. Researchers use the data collected, although imprecise or disputed, to analyse changes in income, employment, wealth, poverty and health between different groups of people.
This information can then be used by any interested party to initiate a debate which may then result in policies being put forward to resolve problems. Without classification or analysis of information, it would be very difficult if not impossible to improve society.

13. Social Class Models
Register General Classification (pre-2001 classification)
Class A or I Professional, Solicitor, HT
Class B or II Technical or middle lower managerial, Superstore manager
Class C1 or III Skilled Manual, Tradesman
Class C2 or III Skilled Non-manual Computer operator
Class D or IV Semi-skilled, Technician
Class E or V Unskilled, Labourer, Driver
Discuss this model with your class highlighting how narrow the classifications are.

14. National Statistics Socio-economic Classification
Social Class Models
National Statistics Socio-economic Classification
(Used since 2001 although there are other classifications)
1. Higher Managerial and Professional Occupations: Large employers / higher managerial e.g. company directors
- Higher professional occupations e.g. doctors,
lawyers
Lower Managerial and Professional Occupations: nurses, journalists
Intermediate Occupations: clerks, secretaries
Small Employers and Own Account Workers: publicans, farmers

15. National Statistics Socio-economic Classification
Social Class Models
National Statistics Socio-economic Classification
(Used since 2001 although there are other classifications)
Lower Supervisory and Technical Occupations: printers, plumbers
Semi-routine Occupations: shop assistants, hairdressers
Routine Occupations: couriers, labourer
8. Never Worked / Long-term Unemployed

16. Social Class Models
Traditional British social divisions of upper, middle and working class seem out of date in the 21st Century, no longer reflecting modern occupations or lifestyles.
As you will have seen, it seems strange that some occupations qualify you for a higher social class than others considering the money you can earn for doing certain jobs.
Therefore basing social class classifications on occupation alone seems too simplistic.

17. Social Class Models
The BBC teamed up with sociologists from leading universities to analyse the modern British class system. They surveyed more than 161,000 people and came up with a new model made up of seven groups.

18. Social Class Models Britain's new social classes – 7 groups
Elite: Most privileged group, set apart from other classes because of wealth. Highest scoring economically, socially and culturally.
Established middle class: Largest class group and second wealthiest. Also score high culturally and socially.
Technical middle class: Small distinct group that aren't so social but have money and are into emerging culture such as gaming, the internet and rock music.
New affluent workers: A young group, socially and culturally active with middling levels of income.
Traditional working class: Score low economically, socially and culturally but have reasonably high house values and oldest average age.

19. Social Class Models
6. Emergent service workers: New young urban group who don't have much money but are very social and cultural. They "live for today“.
7. Precariat: Poorest, most deprived class who score low economically, socially and culturally.

20. Why not try it?
So where might your family members sit within the class calculator categories?
Here is the link. Why not get your parent/ guardian to try it?
You might want to fill this out for the class to let them see how it works. This task obviously asks for some sensitive/ private information so you may choose to do it before the class to show what you came out as.

21. REVISION QUESTIONS
1. What evidence is there that the UK is a rich country but that wealth is not evenly distributed?
2. Why is social class classification necessary?
3. Summarise the main social class classification models that you have learned about.
4. Why, in your opinion, is social class hard to define?

22. I can…
Interpret evidence which shows that the UK is a rich country and explain why wealth and income are not shared out evenly.
Explain why the process of social classification of people is necessary.
Describe at least two classifications that social scientists use to categories different people. 22