Social Class

Question 1

Hutton Fluid, Not important part of identity

Answer 1

Decline in trade union memberships and the manufacturing sector, and the dispersal of working-class communities, has eroded working class communities. Showing how working-class identity has eroded and developed

Question 2

Marshall et al. Not fluid, important part of identity

Answer 2

strong class identities as 60 per cent of their sample felt like they belonged to a particular social class. 75 per cent agreed that people are born into a social class and it is difficult to move from one class to another

Question 3

Postmodernists Fluid, Not important part of identity

Answer 3

believe that we live in a classless society. Think too fragmented and too much diversity

Question 4

Marxists and Neo-Marxists Not fluid, important part of identity

Answer 4

Class is still especially important, as there is an open system so there is big social mobility and social institutions are affected by the differences in class.

Classes retain different levels of social, cultural and economic capital

There are quite different levels of cultural characteristics which support their class through “how they spend their leisure time”

Encouraging the working class to accept the system and become docile workers rather than challenge their own exploitation

Question 5

Murray, Underclass

Answer 5

argues that overgenerous benefits encourage some people to develop a culture, or set of norms and values, in which they do not take responsibility for their own action and have an expectation that they will be looked after by the state
Overgenerous culture of dependency. mentions there is a lot of crime and deviance and illegitimate children

Question 6

Storry and Child, Working class

Answer 6

said the working-Class live-in council flats, eating fish and chips and have a common accent, characteristics

Question 7

Fox, Middle Class

Answer 7

discussed the ‘upper middles’, ‘middles middles’ and ‘lower middles’ to highlight the difference within the middle class. Big difference between public sector professional and private sector professional. Not everyone is the same middle class. There is a huge range of professions.

Question 8

Storry & Childs, Upper class

Answer 8

stately homes; aristocratic backgrounds; posh accents