Topic 6 - Social Class

Roberts

• Argues that the upper class is “closed” - its members tend to be children of upper class parents.

• The upper class inter-marry.

• Exclusive social events such as hunting, Wimbledon.

King and Smith

• Studied Jack Wills, which markets clothes that resonate with upper class lifestyle.

• Targeted students at top unis from privately educated backgrounds.

• Sponsored events like skiing trips and polo matches.

• Argued that the brand therefore became associated with the identity of the upper class.

Bourdieu

• Argues that ruling class have the power to shape which attributes are valued.

• Can acquire and pass on culture capital to their children.

Gillies

• Showed how middle class parents use their cultural capital to manipulate the education system to benefit their children.

• E.g. get on the school governors committee.

Skeggs

• Showed how working class women in health professions changed the way they spoke.

• Dressed to conform middle class cultural norms.

Hey

• Found that middle class girls felt more powerful than working class girls.

• Because they had higher levels of cultural, economic, and social capital.

• So they felt less need to use their sexual/physical capital.

Wilmott and Young

• The traditional working class had traditional gender roles.

• Men having masculine jobs like mining.

• Women being full time housewives.

• Traditional working class felt marriage was life, disapproved of divorce.

Goldthorpe and Lockwood

• Argue that since late 1970s a new working class has developed.

• Has reduced in number and norms and values have changed.

• Before, WC identity was based around work, now it is leisure.

• More likely to own homes, cars, consumer goods.

• Women are more likely to have jobs and men to do housework.

Braverman

• Argues that working in mines and factories has been replaced by bars.

• Place of work may no longer be dangerous, but workers are still exploited and carry low pay.

Pakulski and Waters

• Lifestyles are becoming a major source of social, personal identity - less likely to be based on social class.

• Argue we are now defined by what we wear, buy rather than occupation.

• As a result, social class identity is arguably no longer important.

Marshall

• A survey found that 60% of sample thought of themselves as belonging to a certain social class.

• This suggests that class identities manage to survive despite competition from lifestyle and consumer identities.

• Argue that class is the most common, powerful source of social identity.

Castells

• Argues that those who do not have access to reliable technology are now even more excluded.

• They do not have same access to jobs, friends, information.

Giddens

• Highlight how technologies led to the “democratisation of society”.

• Everyone has access to information, anyone can voice their opinion, giving everyone same level of power, regardless of social class.