class and identity

Question 1

what is upper class identity

Answer 1

they are based on two major groupings
landed aristocracy - their source of power is historic ownership of land and political connections to the monarchy (lords)

the business elite - great income and wealth based on ownership of significant global companies

Question 2

what is middle class identity

Answer 2

shaped by economic factors and are constructed around a range of occupations e.g lawyers , doctors , accountants , managers
they normally have three tiers

Question 3

what are the characteristics of middle class identities

Answer 3

-they enjoy high salaries and job security
-they believe in deferred gratification
- they share the same cultural outlook and lifestyle e.g their music , clothes

Question 4

what is deferred gratification

Answer 4

this is the idea that it is worth making sacrifices in the short term in order to receive rewards in the long term

Question 5

what are working class identities

Answer 5

they are centered/fixed around manual work and the manufacturing industry

Question 6

characteristics of working class identities

Answer 6

-they are employed in low tier jobs that provide low pay and require limited skills

• the key features are ;
  ->fatalism
  ->collectivism
  ->immediate gratification

Question 7

what is immediate gratification

Answer 7

this is the opposite of deferred gratification , this is when people demand pleasure now rather than waiting

Question 8

what is collectivism

Answer 8

• when people value succeeding as a group rather than as an individual

Question 9

what is fatalism

Answer 9

-this is when a person believes there is nothing they can do to change their status

Question 10

what is social stratification

Answer 10

• a ranking of people in society based on wealth , income , education , family and power

Question 11

Describe two characteristics of upper-class culture

Answer 11

Conspicuous consumption.
* Ascribed status.
* Appreciation of ‘high culture’– e.g. fine art, opera, classical music, etc.
* Private education, especially public schools followed by Oxbridge
* Exclusive social networks – peer groups that provide contacts in later
life formed in schools/university (‘old boys’ network’).
* Participation in certain leisure activities like hunting and shooting,
tennis, golf etc. As well as attendance at elite sporting events like
Wimbledon, Henley and (Royal) Ascot.
* Codes of etiquette and manners – ways of speaking and behaving that
confer superiority.
* Social closure – excluding other classes from entry into the upper class,
e.g. by promoting marriage between families

Question 12

How the family influences social class identity - Reay (1998)

Answer 12

Middle class mothers can influence their children’s primary schooling more than Working class mothers because:
•They have more time
•They know the system
•They had positive experiences of school

Question 13

How the family influences social class
Identity- King & Raynor (1981)

Answer 13

found that child-centredness is a distinctive feature of middle-class families, especially in terms of passing on educational opportunities and attitudes required for educational success.

Question 14

How education influences social class

Answer 14

Material deprivation ;
- This refers to when families and pupils are unable to afford material items such as food, clothes and educational resources.

This can negatively affect educational achievement. It is most likely that working-class pupils experience this.