Evidence of Growing Social Class Equality

Question 1

Average income increase between 1979 and 1999

Answer 1

36% increase between 1979 and 1999

Question 2

What now protects people from low pay?

Answer 2

Minimum and now the living wage

Question 3

What has increased (income)?

Answer 3

Share ownership and car ownership

Question 4

Which % of people now own their own homes?

Answer 4

70%

Question 5

What is the difference between what the top 1% earned in 1911 vs now?

Answer 5

In 1911 they owned 69% wealth, now own 17%

Question 6

What measures have increased equality in education?

Answer 6

Equal opportunity government funding (eg university grants)

Charities such as the Sutton Trust

Question 7

What does Saunders (New Right) say about education opportunities?

Answer 7

Equal opportunity measures mean class is losing its significance, achievement or failure now has more to do with effort and ability than income

Question 8

What do Pakulski and Waters say?

Answer 8

Class is dead, consumption is more important

Question 9

Which % of the population are upper class?

Answer 9

1%

Question 10

What has created downward social mobility?

Answer 10

Inheritance taxes

Question 11

What now exists between social class groups?

Answer 11

A blurring of boundaries

Question 12

What does Roberts say

Answer 12

Weberian - middle class is fragmented

Question 13

What does Zweig say?

Answer 13

Marxist view - embourgoisement - the working class is becoming more like the middle class (convergence)

Question 14

What does Braverman say

Answer 14

Marxist view - proletarianisation - lower m/c are more like w/c (giving the uc more power)

Question 15

What does Hall say about social class?

Answer 15

It is no longer a ‘master identity’ - ethnicity more important

Question 16

What did Bradley find

Answer 16

Polarization between the rich and poor - evaluates growing social class equality

Question 17

What did Scott identify?

Answer 17

A unified upper class - evaluates growing social class equality - they practised social closure and controlled ‘power blocs’

Question 18

What did Saunders say about the upper class

Answer 18

New Right view - the upper class has been eroded

Question 19

Which % of the workforce are now middle class?

Answer 19

60%

Question 20

What does Savage say about the middle class?

Answer 20

It has fragmented into 5 sections:

professionals; managers; self employed; routine white collar; new technology

Question 21

Which % of the workforce are now working class?

Answer 21

30%

Question 22

What did Zweig say has caused the reduction in the working class?

Answer 22

Embourgeoisement

Question 23

What did Roberts find?

Answer 23

Traditional working class identity is in decline

Question 24

What did Savage suggest?

Answer 24

Although the working class may not identify as working class, inequality based on class is now MORE important

Question 25

Which theorist identified a deviant underclass?

Answer 25

Murray- created by welfare dependency

Question 26

What did Morris find about the underclass?

Answer 26

There was no evidence of them having distinct values, wanted to work

Question 27

What did Field suggest caused the underclass?

Answer 27

Benefits are too low and cause marginalization

Question 28

What are some structural explanations of the underclass?

Answer 28

Field - benefits being too low causing marginalization

Guy Standing - precariat (Barron and Norris)

Question 29

What do Marxists say about the underclass?

Answer 29

Not a distinct group, just the most exploited working class

Question 30

What is a Weberian view of the underclass?

Answer 30

Rex and Tomlinson - underclass lack status and party

Question 31

What do Functionalists think of the underclass?

Answer 31

Davis and Moore - poverty is actually functional