1. SOSC 103D Social Inequality in HK Lecture 6: Class studies

2. L6: 25.09.06 Inequality and class studies “ Class is not something that is simply produced economically. It is performed, marked, written on minds and bodies” – Roberts, 2001:9 Dimensions of class: –Income and wealth –Life styles –Consumption and leisure –Attitudes and beliefs –Housing

3. L6: 25.09.06 Class scheme Divisions of social class: the way we divide people into different groups –e.g. Rich vs Poor –e.g. Capitalists vs Labour –e.g. Employers vs Employees (self-employed) –e.g. Blue-collar vs White-collar –e.g. Middle class vs Working class We mainly classify people into different class according to their occupations (Marxist and Weberian approach)

4. L6: 25.09.06 The Hong Kong Class Structure Brief Description % I Higher managerial & professional occupations8.6 II Lower managerial & professional occupations11.3 III Intermediate (white collar) occupations9.6 IV Small employers and own-account workers14.0 V Lower-grade technicians, supervisors15.9 VI Skilled manual workers15.8 VII Semi-skilled to unskilled workers, agricultural24.8 20% 40%

5. L6: 25.09.06 HK class studies in the late 1980s The background: Experienced a rapid economic growth since 60s. –Experience an overall betterment of lives –Improvement in terms of housing, education, medical services Hidden message/ assumption: even the working-class people are now enjoying a middle-class way of life. (late 70s)

6. L6: 25.09.06 Background of HK class studies Change in the economic structure Change in the occupational structure accordingly  Fishing  Manufacturing  Tourism  Banking & Financing

7. L6: 25.09.06 Distribution of working population (%) by industry Industry/ Year1961197119811986 Agriculture and Fishing7.33.92.01.8 Mining and Quarrying0.70.30.1-- Manufacturing43.047.041.235.8 Construction4.95.47.76.3 Electricity, Gas & Water1.10.6 0.7 Wholesale & Retail Trade, Restaurants & Hotels 14.416.219.222.5 Transport, Storage & Communication7.37.47.58.0 Financing, Insurance, Real Estate & Business Services 1.62.74.86.4 Services8.315.015.618.1 Unclassifiable1.41.51.30.4

8. L6: 25.09.06 Background of HK class studies The rise of middle classes (80s) Class Structure: From triangle to diamond shape Hidden message/ assumption: Most of people in HK are now middle-class Increasing number of working-class people have became middle-class

9. L6: 25.09.06 Results of the development An intellectual challenge of class studies: -Death of class -When the whole society become a middle class society: equal and fair -Limited inequalities in: -Income -Educational attainment -Housing resources