Social class identities Flashcards
What are the five key terms of Social Class Identities?
- social class: a group that occupies a particular social and economic position in society
- life chances: the opportunities we have to achieve good health, status and wealth
- social mobility: our ability to move up the social class system
- class culture: the values, tastes and preferences of a social class
- underclass: the poorest and most under-privileged section of society
Define Class
Most sociologists use occupation as a measure of social class.
The current system of class categorisation is the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Social class scheme
What did Bourdieu argue about the definition of class?
Bourdieu argued that class is also defined by class culture: the values, tastes and preferences of a particular social class.
Individuals’ subjective class identity may be different from their objective class identity.
What is the main group of traditional Upper Class?
Landowning aristocrats
What is the Culture and Identity of the traditional Upper Class?
Inherited wealth
Social closure promoted through:
• Intermarriage
• Elite education at public schools (Scott: socialises them into common culture that promotes u/c values)
• Old school-tie networks give them contacts and self-confidence
• Exclusive leisure activities e.g. expensive sports (polo), high culture (opera, ballet)
What are the Values of the traditional Upper Class?
• Tradition and conservatism
• Authority and hierarchy
• Breeding and background
What is the main group of New Upper Class?
• Entrepreneurs
• Jet Set
What is the Culture and Identity of the New Upper Class - Entrepreneurs?
• Self-made: Gained wealth from owning and running businesses
• Lives centred around work
• Use exclusive social occasions to network
What are the Values of the New Upper Class - Entrepreneurs?
• Work
What is the Culture and Identity of the New Upper Class – Jet Set?
• Self-made: gained wealth through careers in sport and entertainment
What are the Values of the New Upper Class – Jet Set?
• Publicity / Fame
• Conspicuous consumption
What is the definition of Middle Class?
Non-manual. Diverse backgrounds and jobs
List the categories of Middle Class in the notes:
• Professionals. Eg. Doctors and Lawyers
• Managers
• Small-scale entrepreneurs
• Routine-white-collar
• Other Middle Class
What is the Culture and Identity of the Middle Class - Professionals?
• Savage: intellectual identity from long successful education
What are the Values of the Middle Class - Professionals?
• Savage: value cultural assets (e.g. art) and cultural capital (e.g. knowledge of classical music)
• Altruism
What is the Culture and Identity of the Middle Class - Managers?
• More likely to have worked their way up the company
• Savage: define status and identity through standard of living and leisure pursuits
What is the Culture and Identity of the Middle Class – Small-scale Entrepreneurs?
• Roberts: Individualistic
What are the Values of the Middle Class - Small-scale Entrepreneurs?
• Roberts: Hard work and discipline
• Belief in independence from the state
What is the Culture and Identity of the Middle Class – Routine-white-collar?
• Often children of manual workers
• Pay and status in decline
• Rarely mix with manual workers
What are the Values of the Middle Class - Routine-white-collar?
• Do not hold typical w/c values: share many values of the new w/c, so it is increasingly difficult to differentiate between them
What is the Culture and Identity of the Middle Class – All Middle Class?
Roberts:
• Likely to have a mortgage and to live in the suburbs
• Private education or top state schools
• Selection by mortgage
• Dominate in achievement in education and at university
What are the Values of the Middle Class – All Middle Class?
Roberts:
• Home ownership
• Education
• Meritocracy
• Deferred gratification – making sacrifices to achieve qualifications
What is the definition of Working Class?
Manual labour and other low-paid work
List the categories of Working Class in the notes:
• Traditional Working Class
• New Working Class
• Underclass
What is the Culture and Identity of the Working Class – Traditional Working Class?
• Active or politicised identities: class consciousness
• Manual labour
• Collectivist: Close-knit communities and close ties with family
• Political – vote Labour, involved in trade unions
• Mistrust and hostility towards superiors at work (us and them)
• Traditional roles at home
What are the Values of the Working Class – Traditional Working Class?
• Family
• Community
• Left-wing values
• Loyalty to one another
• Mutual support
What is the Culture and Identity of the Working Class – New Working Class?
• Passive class identities
• Tend to work in newer types of high-tech manufacturing industries
• Privatism: base their lives around the home and family activities
• Apolitical: vote for whichever party will further their interests; unlikely to be involved in trade unions
• Changing gender roles at home and at work
What are the Values of the Working Class – New Working Class?
• Work only valued as means to an end
• Weak political values
• Materialism: value the ability to spend on consumer goods and holidays
• Emphasis on social mobility: getting on and getting ahead
• Leisure is a central life interest
What is the Culture and Identity of the Working Class – Under Class?
Murray:
• Long-term unemployed
• Single parents with inadequate parenting skills
• Dependant on state benefits
• Living in run-down council estates
However, Jordan:
• Do not enjoy a high standard of living, lack basics, in debt, excluded by society (jobs are not available)
What are the Values of the Working Class – Under Class?
Murray:
• Anti-authority
• Anti-education
• Immoral
However, Jordan:
• Same values of work and family as everyone else
