The British Class System

The British Class System

Giselle Dahm, Paula Steuer

Thursday, March 30th 2017

Table of Contents

New Class System

• Definition
• British social class system then and now
• NOW: Elite, Established middle class, technical middle class, new affluent workers, traditional working class, emergent service workers, precariat
• Why did the classes change?
• Sources
• Assignment

Elite

• 6% of population
• mainly aristrocacy and landowners
• wealthiest and most privileged
• went to public schools and elite Universities
• enjoy high cultural activities
• mainly in London and the South of England

Established middle class

What is Social Class?

• about 25% of British society
• the most gregarious and the second wealthiest
• work in traditional professions
• socialise with a wide variety of people
• take part in cultural activities

Technical middle class

• about 6% of British society
• most expanding group in Britain
• come from middle-class background
• enjoy social media
• remain distinct from the other classes

• the grouping of people by occupations

• different positions represent different levels of power, influence and money

New affluent workers

• about 15% of British society
• economically secure, without being well-off
• sociable
• lots of cultural interests
• sits in the middle of all the groups in terms of wealth
• working-class background

Traditional working class

• about 14% of British society
• oldest average age
• jobs include lorry drivers, hotel staff and electricians
• hardest hit by unemployment
• own their own home
• remain destinct from the other classes

Emergent service workers

• about 19% of British society
• many west indians
• depending on state benefits
• not financially secure
• one third lives below the poverty line
• enjoy a wide range of cultural activities
• young people

Precariat

Old vs. New System

• about 15% of British society
• poorest and most deprived social group
• mix socially with people like them
• don't have broad range of cultural interests
• don't usually own own home

• used to be categorized into 3 main class types

• Upper class
• Middle class
• Lower class

Why did the classes change?

• now its categorized in 7 class types

• Elite
• Established middle class
• Technical middle class
• New affluent workers
• Traditional working class
• Emergent service workers
• Precariat

Assignment

Outline how this gap between poor and rich developed

• no longer simply linked to capital and pronounciation
• possible to hold multiple class identities
• most societies have overcome restrictions and inequalities of older class systems

Sources

Discuss: how do you think one could reverse this development?

Thank you for your attention

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12037247/the-seven-social-classes-of-21st-century-britain-where-do-you-fit-in.html
• http://de.pons.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_structure_of_the_United_Kingdom
• https://theconversation.com/why-britains-class-system-will-have-to-change-58188
• https://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160406-how-much-does-social-class-matter-in-britain-today
• https://theconversation.com/why-britains-class-system-will-have-to-change-58188
• https://sex-british.com/the-british-class-system-revisited/
• http://www.lmg.pf.bw.schule.de/faecher/englisch/landeskunde/page15/page15.html
• http://www.referatele.com/referate/engleza/online10/The-British-class-system-referatele-com.php