Class and identity Flashcards
what is a social class?
social class is a group of people who are similar economic and social situations as each other
- being in a social class helps people to develop certain lifestyles and norms/values
- also affects economic conditions of an individual, such as their upbringing and related issues such as health and housing.
what do postmodernists argue about class?
that class is no longer important in today’s society, but it’s debated that it still has an impact on how people view each other
eg. when people judge a social class, it’s important to think about their income, style, and possessions.
what did Bourdieu find?
‘class fractions’ are determined by varying degree of social, economic, and cultural capital.
- the ruling class has the power to shape which attributes are valued, and are in a position to acquire and pass on capital to their children.
what is cultural capital - bourdieu?
the knowledge, attitudes, skills, education and advantages that a person has, which give them a higher status in society
what is economic capital - bourdieu?
economic resources - cash, assests
what is social capital - bourdieu?
resources based on group memberships, relationships, networks of influence and support
what do parents provide their children with? - bourdieu?
parents provide their children with cultural capital by transmitting the attitudes and knowledge needed to succeed in the current education system –> knowledge of ‘high culture’
what do bourdieu and marxists argue?
argue that it is the power of the ruling class that allows them to define knowledge + skills that are valued and to ensure that they and their children are in the best position to acquire them giving an unfair advantage.
what did Mackintosh and Mooney identify - Upper class?
have identified that a key feature of being in the upper class is ‘invisibility’, the upper class has a form of social closure, meaning that their education and outside activities are heavily separated from the ret of population.
eg - upper class may send children to boarding school or forced to socialise in exclusive clubs which are inaccessible to majority.
- it’s argued this group is waning in number + power
what is the middle class?
seen as majority of the population, they have professional or managerial jobs, most likely to be university-educated and own their own homes
- the middle class is a very diverse group because access to home ownership and university education ha spread, more are self-employed - fewer people working in manual jobs
what does Fox argue - middle class?
Fox argues that there are 3 sub systems in the middle class ‘upper middles’ , ‘middle middles’ , ‘lower middles’ to highlight differences between those in middle class. It’s unlikely that those of the middle class share a common identity
what is the working class?
used to form majority of the population, it was filled with trade workers and manual workers.
what does Hutton argue - working class?
Hutton argues that the decline of trade unions and the manufacturing sectors means that working-class identity has eroded.
- the working class has been viewed as a hard-working identity, who have mediocre education, housing + careers
what does Skeggs argue - working class?
Skeggs argues that working class women feel humiliated in how those of higher occupations judge them, so they change their identity to look more respectable.
what is the Underclass?
term used by conflict theorists to draw attention to the marginalisation experienced by those at the bottom of society, who lack opportunities in education, health and income.
how is underclass used now in society?
used in a negative way, especially bt new right theorist Murray who suggests that over generous benefits encourage people to develop into a culture where they don’t take responsibility for their actions and have an expectation that they will be looked after by the state - DEPENDENCY culture
how are class identities changing? what do postmodernists Pakulsi and Waters argue?
argue that there has been a shift from production to consumption and we are defined by what we buy and no what we do.
how are class identities changing? - what does Offe argue?
argues that in today’s society few people share common experiences of full time work, the experience which used to shape culture of a social class.
- the days where people had a job for life are gone, we are able to create our own identities regardless of our social class
how are class identities changing? how does UK give chances to everyone and media?
the UK gives choices to everyone which was only limited to a few in the past eg. opportunity to go to school - free, and go travelling
-media also gives access to endless range of information and cultural experiences + has broken social class barriers which existed a few years ago.
how are class identities changing? - why does not everyone agree that social class is free?
would argue that social class is not as free as it seems, social class background remains most significant indicator of outcomes in education, health and life expectancy –> there is still differences in the lifestyle of those in a different social or economic background
- also the ability to make choices and take opportunities relies on money, some sections of the UK don’t have access to the internet –> concerned feeding family
strong class identities - what did Marshall find
- that 60% of his sample thought of themselves belonging to a certain social class, and 90% would be able to identify what class they would be placed in
- 75% of his sample agreed that if people are born into a social class, it’s hard to get out of it and be socially mobile
poor class identities - what did Savage find
- that large majority of his sample thought Britain was a classes society, his sample was well aware that class has a strong influence in the wider society
- identified a paradox, which showed that people agreed class is an important aspect in people’s lives, yet class identities are weak
