Social Class Flashcards
What is stratification?
The division of a society into hierarchical ordered layers, with the most privileged at the top and the least favoured at the bottom
What is the Registrar Generals Scales?
Before 1997 it was the main form of classifying people into social class based on their occupation
What is the NSSEC?
National Statistics Socio-economic Classification, new form of classification based on occupation to reflect changes in the labour marker
What is objective definitions of class?
Uses a measurement of class by asking respondents questions based on indicators like income and occupation
What is subjective definitions of class?
Ask people to rate their own class
What is ascribed status?
Status you are born with (royal family)
What is achieved status?
Status you earn (Alan Sugar)
What is traditional working class?
Manual labour, close knit communities, mutual support in childcare and financial work/help. Immediate gratification
What is new working class?
Private lives, flexible occupations, increasing consumption, employment based on their service sector
What is under class?
Marxists say the system disadvantage he poor
Murray says they are dependant on benefits
What is middle class?
Conspicuous consumption, deferred gratification, child centred ness, conservatism, meritocracy, disposable income
What is Traditional upper class?
Extended families, monarchy/aristocracy, ‘old boy network’
Cultural, social and economic capitals
What is the super rich class?
Jet set pop aristocracy, entrepreneurial, achieved status, economic and social capital, ‘rags to riches’
What is jet set pop aristocracy?
Sometimes known as ‘new money’ people who become rich through sport, media or entertainment
What is entrepreneurial rich?
Business owners, directors of retail, publishing, banking and finance, property development
What is marginalised?
To put people in positions of importance
What is Immediate gratification?
Want to be rewarded as soon as possible
What is deferred gratification?
People who can wait to be rewarded
Instrumental attitudes
Work is a means to an end, a way of gaining money
Meritocratic
A fair society that gives people opportunities based on their ability
Social mobility
Possibility to change social groups
Popular culture
Majority of people follow this culture
Capitalism
Society based on a majority ruling class owning the mean of production
Crisis of masculinity
Working class, men who feel lost after de-industrialisation and some women becoming breadwinners
Child centeredness
Middle class revolve their lives around the children and their future
Cultural capital
Educational advantages
Social capital
Network advantages
Economic capital
Financial advantages
Yummy Mummy
Middle class women who like to show their perfection and money
Conspicuous consumption
Buying products to look good
Social closure
Upper class don’t let others in
Old boy network
Upper class give each other contacts for work/opportunities etc
High culture
Culture of the upper class
Individualism
The pursuit of personal happiness and independence
Theoretical approach on class
Sociologists have different ideas about which classes exist and why
Marxism suggests there are only two groups of social class, the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat
Top and bottom class jobs in the Registrar Generals scale
Top - accountants, architects, doctors, dentists, solicitors
Bottom - road sweepers, labourers, window cleaners
Top and bottom class on the NSSEC scale
Top - Company directors, corporate managers, bank managers, military officers
Bottom - Waiters, Road sweepers, cleaner
Established middle class
Diverse range of cultural activities, socialise with broadway range of people, work in management or traditional professions, middle class background live outside urban areas
Technical middle class
Mix socially with people similar to themselves, work in research, science and technical fields, enjoy emerging culture such as the gym and social media
New Affluent Workers
Economically secure, quite high emerging, don’t participate in high culture, come from working class background, live in old manufacturing sections like the Midlands and North West
Emergent service workers
Youngest, highest emerging culture (sports, gigs, social media) urban group in large cities, socialise with a broad range of people
Traditional working class
Own their own home, mix socially with people like them, don’t enjoy emerging culture, oldest average age, lorry drivers and electricians
Precariat
Tend to mix socially with people like themselves, come from working class background, over 80% rent their home
Values of the traditional upper class
Extended families Monarchy/aristocracy Social closure/ old boy network Economic,social,cultural capital Coherent/solid concentration of wealth Privileged culture/small group Landowners/common background
Values of the new Super Rich
Jet set pop aristocracy Entrepreneurial rich Achieved status Economic capital Social capital ‘Rags to Riches’
Value of traditional middle class Middle class are interchangeable
•conspicuous consumption Social aspiration Meritocracy Instrumental attitudes Conservatism Cultural/economic capital Consumer culture
Values of the new middle class Middle class are interchangeable
•Deferred gratification •Child centerdness Social anxiety Domesticity Social comparability Social capital Yummy Mummies Contradictory class position
What is endogamy?
Marrying into your social class
Values of traditional working class
•Immediate gratification Dangerous jobs Belong to trade unions Engage in industrial action Strong political identity (Labour) Close-knit communities Mutual support in childcare, financial help and finding work Cheaper homes, manual labour
Values of the new working class
• Employment based on the service sector (Feminised) Private lives Flexible occupations Rise in home owners Shared responsibilities in homes Increasing consumption
How do the upper class gain social capital?
Being invited into exclusive social events
How do upper class see popular culture?
As low culture and not valuable
What do private schools teach the upper class?
Private schools and Oxbridge teach a culture of privilege. The hidden curriculum teaches superiority, conservatism and acceptance of authority.
Who are the Bourgeoise?
Marxism calls them the Ruling class. They own the means of production, factories, machinery and land etc
Who are the Proletariat?
Marxism calls them the working class. They have to use the means of production for survival and only have their labour to sell in return for a wage. Forced to work for the ruling class in order to survive.
Why do the ruling class need the working class?
So they can exploit them for surplus value (profits of capitalism)
What is cultural deprivation?
Elders passing on anti-school behaviour onto male youth
