Social Class and Identity Flashcards
How is social class related to identity?
Social class is a group sharing similar economic and social situations, this affects their economic circumstances of their upbringing (housing, school, health etc.)
A product of socialisation, started from the family and related to cultural characteristics (lifestyle, taste, occupation, education)
MURRAY “UNDERCLASS”
Over generous benefit system encourage some people to develop a culture of dependency, they don’t take responsibilities for their actions and expect the state to care for them.
HUTTON “W/C AND TRADE UNIONS”
Decline in trade union memberships and manufacturing sector and disposal of w/c communities eroded the w/c.
SKEGGS “W/C WOMEN”
W/c women felt humiliated by how teachers and doctors dismissed them due to their social class background.
Women made efforts ton be respectable based on their appearance.
FOX “DIFFERENTIATE MIDDLE CLASS”
Upper middles, middle middles and lower middles highlights the differences in the m/c and the differences within public sector professionals (teachers) and private (lawyers).
MACKINTOSH AND MOONEY “UPPER CLASS INVISIBILITY”
Upper class were seen as invisible as their education, leisure time and daily lives are separated from the rest of the population.
SAVAGE ET AL “WEAK CLASS IDENTITIES”
From the sample few concluded Britain was a classless society.
Most of the sample saw themselves as outside classes and just ordinary individuals.
PAKULSKI AND WALTERS “PRODUCTION OVER CONSUMPTION”
Shift from production to consumption in identity defining - were defined by what we buy.
OFFE “FULL TIME WORK”
Fewer people share a common unifying experience of full time work, the experiences used to shape the culture of social classes.
MARSHALL ET AL “STRONG CLASS IDENTITIES”
60% of their sample thought they belonged to a particular social class.
75% agreed people are born into social class and it’s hard to move.
